Reply sought in petition challenging NAB Punjab DG’s appointment

LAHORE – A Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench on Monday again sought reply from the attorney general, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman and Punjab Police inspector general on a petition challenging appointment of NAB Punjab Director General Rana Zahid Mehmood. On Monday, nobody appeared on behalf of the respondents on which the petitioner’s counsel alleged that the Punjab government was deliberately delaying submission of replies.
He pointed out that Zahid’s contract will expire on July 20 and the Punjab government wanted to stretch the proceedings until that date so that the petition becomes ineffective. After hearing arguments, the bench consisting of Justice Chaudhry Iftikhar Hussain and Justice Sheikh Ahmed Farooq directed the respondents to file their replies until April 18. Shah Faisal Qureshi clubbed the petition with his earlier petition against the appointment of the NAB Punjab DG.
The petitioner submitted that Zahid was committing illegalities during pendency of the case against his appointment. Qureshi said that as he was an affectee of the wrongdoings of the DG and after challenging his appointment, he feared that Zahid might influence the inquiry against him in NAB. Qureshi filed the petition through his counsel Azhar Siddique submitting that Zahid, a former LHC judge, was appointed on contract as acting NAB Punjab DG by violating the rules after the SC removed him from the judiciary on a petition filed by the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA).
The petitioner said that the SC had declared the contract appointment a violation of its judgement. Qureshi submitted that Zahid was a close relative of Kanal Motors case accused Rana Qaiser Nazir which was being investigated by NAB. He said that Zahid, using his influence had Investigation Officer (IO) Rana Waqas Mehmood removed. The petitioner said that the matter was reported to the NAB chairman and Punjab Police inspector general (IG) through various applications but no action was taken in this regard. Qureshi requested the court to declare Zahid’s appointment illegal and transfer the case’s investigation to Waqas.