ISLAMABAD: The Deputy Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Zahir Shah has been appointed as the acting chairman of the accountability bureau and a notification in this regard has also been issued.
The notification said, “In pursuance of the proviso[n] to Section 6(b)(v) of amended NAO 1999, Zahir Shah, shall act as Chairman, NAB, the anti-corruption watchdog, with effect from 22-02-2023 and till the appointment of new chairman, under the ordinance.”
Zahir has already been looking after the NAB after the resignation of former chairman Aftab Sultan.
He was appointed Deputy Chairman NAB in October 2021. He has been working with the accountability watchdog since more than a decade and has had held different positions including the Director General NAB Rawalpindi.
Former chairman NAB Aftab Sultan had resigned from the post less than a year after his appointment as the NAB Chief. He had said, “I told them that I cannot continue with the conditions. My resignation has been accepted and it comes to an end on a positive note.”
NAB Chairman, being a constitutional post, will be filled after consultation between the Prime Minister and the opposition leader. Since then the Deputy Chairman will work as acting Chairman in the absence of Chairman of the accountability watchdog.
However, the acting Chairman cannot exercise powers to approve the filing of any reference into the court.
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