RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a petition filed by a leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), seeking removal of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman former Justice Javed Iqbal from his post.

The decision came during a brief in-chamber hearing conducted by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar over the petition filed by PML-N leader Noor Ahmed Awan.

Awan had filed a constitutional petition against the NAB chairman in the Supreme Court on May 12. The petition stated that the NAB had released a press statement on May 8 which stated that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was involved in laundering money to India.

On May 8, the NAB had issued a press release stating that it will probe alleged laundering of $4.9 billion to India by Nawaz and others.

The press release mentioned that the information was taken from the Migration and Remittance Book 2016. However, the State Bank of Pakistan had rejected this information on September 21, 2016, the petition noted.

The petition further stated that the sole purpose of the press release was to malign Nawaz Sharif. The press release has raised questions pertaining to the NAB’s integrity, it mentioned.

The petition said that orders should be given to investigate the move for issuing the press release, adding the NAB chairman should also submit an unconditional apology. The petition also requested that NAB chairman should be removed from his post.