Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Opposition Leader Khurshid Shah on Saturday failed to reach a consensus in their third meeting to name a nominee for the post of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman.
According to sources, the PM objected to Shah’s nomination of Justice (r) Mian Muhammad Ajmal and put forward the name of Justice (r) Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry for the slot lying vacant since May 28.
According to sources, the prime minister said Justice (r) Ajmal was serving as Ministry of Law and Justice secretary when former dictator General (r) Pervez Musharraf proclaimed a state of emergency on November 3, 2007, adding that Ajmal had also signed a summary to send seven judges of the Supreme Court packing.
During the meeting, the premier shared feedback from the Law Ministry with the opposition leader and urged Shah to accept the nomination of Justice (r) Ijaz, who, he said, was a judge with impeccable integrity.
Shah sought some time from the prime minister to consult other Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders, including Aitzaz Ahsan and Raza Rabbani over the issue. Sources said Shah is also likely to consult other opposition parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Later, talking to the journalists, Shah said that the government and opposition would reach a consensus over a nominee for NAB chairman before the PM’s departure to the United States.
“We will soon resolve the issue,” he said.
When asked why the name of a controversial figure like Justice (r) Ajaml was proposed, Shah said everyone was controversial in one way or the other.
“There are no angels here and everyone is a part of the same system. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was also a part of the bench which gave Musharraf powers to amend the constitution,” Shah said.
