Lahore High Court Summoned the NAB Chairman for Disrespecting the Court Order

On Wednesday, the Lahore High Court called out NAB chairman Lieutenant General Nazir Ahmed Butt (rtd.) on September 15 for disrespecting the court order.

Overview of the case against the NAB:

On June 16, a petition was filed that sought the conclusion of an inquiry against the former Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht. The petition was sent to the National Accountability Bureau. NAB thus did not respond to the petition nor even dispose of the plea that is considered a law violation.

The petition read, “This honourable court directed respondent number one (Lt [retired] Gen Butt) to decide the pending application expeditiously within one month and strictly in accordance with law under intimation to DR (Judicial) of this honourable court vide order dated May 6. Neither was the petitioner summoned by the respondent, nor was provided any opportunity of hearing to the petitioner. Besides that, more than one month has lapsed, and the petitioner has become a rolling stone at the hands of the respondents.”

The recent petition against the NAB chairman demands his accountability. The petition appeals to the court to call out the NAB chairman and read a charge against him under Article 204 of the Constitution. The charges are made against him because the NAB chairman failed to comply with the May 6 order.

Case hearing:

Chief Justice Alia Neelum headed a two-member bench that heard the contempt of court petition. The petitioner clearly said that the NAB did not carry out the court’s May 6 order. That is why it should be charged for disrespecting the court’s order.

He argued, “I applied for NAB to probe [former federal minister for industries] Khusro Bakhtiar and Hashim Jawan Bakht’s unauthorised assets. Still, they did not decide on or respond to it, despite a court order. A court order against the chairman of the NAB should be made for contempt of court.”   

The Chief Justice asked the state lawyer who was present in the last session by the NAB. The lawyer responded that no one was there in the last proceedings. The Chief Justice then replied that Lieutenant General Ahmed Butt (rtd.) has to appear in the court on September 15.