The Supreme Court on Monday accepted the unconditional apology of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Admiral (r) Fasih Bokhari over his defiant conduct before the court during the last hearing of the NRO implementation case.
Bokhari tendered an unconditional apology over his conduct and assured the court that he would ensure implementation of the NRO verdict in letter and spirit. A seven-judge special bench headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk accepted the written unconditional apology while hearing the NRO implementation case. Shaiq Usmani, counsel for NAB chairman, told the court that his client was not aware of the court’s proceedings and other affairs, thus he committed something wrong, which fell in the definition of defiant conduct, for which his apology might kindly be accepted. The court then directed the NAB chairman to submit his unconditional apology in written, which he did. Usmani told the court that NAB had stared taking steps to initiate action against NRO beneficiaries, including Adnan A Khawaja, Ahmad Riaz Sheikh, Ismail Qureshi, Malik Qayyum and Ahsan Raja. He said some necessary actions had already been taken against the accused.
Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa directed the NAB chairman to submit all record relating to inquiries opened against Adnan A Khawaja, former managing director of the OGDCL, Ahmed Riaz Sheikh, former additional director general of FIA, former attorney general Malik Qayyum and others by Thursday. The court also directed the NAB chairman to submit a report over the implementation of the NRO verdict. Usmani said arrest warrants had been obtained for the arrest of former attorney general Malik Qayyum. He said since Qayyum was out the country, red warrants were being obtained for his arrest. The court then directed the NAB chairman to present an interim report on the next hearing over the steps which had been taken or were being taken. “Is any action being taken against those responsible for illegal appointments?” Justice Asif Khan Khosa asked. The court directed NAB to not only take action against those appointed illegally, but also against those who illegally appointed them. NAB Prosecutor General KK Agha told the court that it had also passed some negative remarks against him. He also tendered an apology, requesting the court to expunge these remarks. The court told him that it still respected him.
Waseem Sajjad, lawyer for former attorney general Malik Qayyum, told the court that his client had nothing to do with the NRO case. He said he had written the letter in compliance with the “executive order”. Sajjad said the court had softened its stance against his client in the NRO review case. Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa noted that in the NRO review case, the relief given to Qayyum was that “the proceedings may be initiated against him without taking effect of the observation”. Sajjad said there was no mandatory order of the Supreme Court in the NRO verdict against his client, but NAB had issued his arrest notice, adding that he was very sick and hospitalised. Justice Nasirul Mulk said nobody would arrest him. Justice Mulk asked Sajjad to wait until Thursday for the report of NAB chairman in this regard. He said an appropriate order would be issued after receipt of NAB chairman’s report. Lawyer for Ahmad Riaz Sheikh told the court that his client had completed the sentence, thus his name may be removed from the cause-list of the Supreme Court.