Comprehensive accountability system need of the hour: Justice Dost Muhammad

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) senior judge Justice Dost Muhammad Khan said Thursday that there should be a comprehensive accountability system under the national laws.

He said this when a two-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by him and comprising of Justice Qazi Faez Esa, was hearing appeals moved by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against acquittal of some accused.

Justice Qazi Faez Esa said that senators and Senate chairman had also expressed their concerns over specific exemptions provided under the new accountability laws.

He asked NAB Special Prosecutor Imranul Haq as to why NAB prosecutor general was not yet appointed. Performance of the bureau was being affected due to the absence of the prosecutor general, he added.

He further said that NAB should file a petition in the Supreme Court on the matter so that the court could pass an appropriate order for the appointment.

Imranul Haq accepted the suggestion and said that there was no doubt that the bureau was facing a lot of difficulties because the seat of the prosecutor general had been left vacant. This issue would be put on the agenda of the bureau’s next meeting, he added.

Justice Dost Muhammad remarked that those NAB director generals who were running the affairs of the bureau since a long time should also be changed as they were responsible for monopolising the department.

Regarding the number of cases filed in the apex court, Justice Dost Muhammad said that a Supreme Court bench did not convene in any state of India as people did not indulge in unnecessary litigation, but the people in Pakistan always went for unnecessary and meritless cases.