The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) says that it is currently examining the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) recent order regarding the initiation of a probe against General (retd) Pervez Musharraf for his alleged corruption during his tenure as president of the country, journalist Ansar Abbasi reported.
The NAB spokesperson confirmed that the bureau is perusing the IHC orders regarding the probe into the assets of Pervez Musharraf.
The NAB spokesperson only shared that much information. But, a source in the Bureau said that the NAB prosecution branch is willing to challenge the IHC order, but a few top officials of the anti-corruption establishment are determined to begin an investigation against Musharraf as per the direction of the IHC.
Last week, the IHC division bench, comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, directed the NAB to launch an investigation against Pervez Musharraf for his alleged corruption.
The IHC division bench judges remarked that the NAB had the authority to probe General (retd) Pervez Musharraf's assets beyond known sources and corrupt practices.
It is pertinent to mention here that General (retired) Musharraf was also accused of illegally allotting military land to those who were not qualified.
The IHC had also declared a NAB letter dated April 25, 2013, as illegal that the bureau body had written to the complainant, Inamul Rahiem, an advocate, apprising him that the bureau could not initiate investigation proceedings against Musharraf. Rahiem had filed a complaint before the NAB, seeking an investigation into Musharraf’s assets. After NAB rejected his application, he filed a petition before the IHC.
The IHC order declared: "The Bureau is vested with the power and jurisdiction to consider the complaint of the petitioner, and if, after such consideration, it is of the opinion that an offence under the Ordinance of 1999 is prima facie made out, then it will become a duty of the NAB to proceed to inquire, investigate, and take all other steps mandated under the Ordinance of 1999. Across the board, accountability is an onerous statutory obligation of the Bureau under the mandate of the Ordinance of 1999. Public trust and confidence are the hallmarks of effective and result-oriented accountability. It is the duty of the Bureau to consider every information or complaint laid before it by a citizen and then to fulfil its statutory obligations by proceeding under the Ordinance of 1999 in a fair and transparent manner without fear or favour."