Deputy chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Zahir Shah has been appointed as the acting chairman of the anti-corruption watchdog after Aftab Sultan resigned from the position on Tuesday.
According to a notification issued on Friday, Zahir Shah will continue as chief of the anti-corruption agency until the next chairman is appointed.
Since the post of NAB chairman is a constitutional position, the prime minister makes the appointment for the office after consulting the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.
“In pursuance of the proviso to Section 6(b)(v) of amended NAO 1999, Mr Zahir Shah, shall act as Chairman, National Accountability Bureau, with effect from 22-02-2023 and till the appointment of new chairman, under the ordinance,” stated the notification issued by Syed Izhar Shah, Additional Director NAB.
Zahir Shah, who has been acting as NAB deputy chairman, is already looking after the anti-corruption agency since Aftab Sultan tendered his resignation as the bureau’s chairman. Sultan had been appointed to the coveted post, which has a constitutionally protected tenure of five years, in July last year.
Newly-appointed acting chairman Zahir Shah has been working with NAB for more than a decade, and has already held several positions in the organisation, including that of director general NAB Rawalpindi.
In October 2021, Shah was appointed deputy chairman NAB, a position in which he oversaw the organisation’s general administration. He also assisted the chairman in the due discharge of the bureau's mandate.
As per rules, in the absence of the chairman, the deputy chairman serves as the acting chairman. However, the acting chairman cannot exercise the powers of a constitutionally appointed chairman, such as granting approval to the filing of any reference in accountability courts.
According to a notification issued on Friday, Zahir Shah will continue as chief of the anti-corruption agency until the next chairman is appointed.
Since the post of NAB chairman is a constitutional position, the prime minister makes the appointment for the office after consulting the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.
“In pursuance of the proviso to Section 6(b)(v) of amended NAO 1999, Mr Zahir Shah, shall act as Chairman, National Accountability Bureau, with effect from 22-02-2023 and till the appointment of new chairman, under the ordinance,” stated the notification issued by Syed Izhar Shah, Additional Director NAB.
Zahir Shah, who has been acting as NAB deputy chairman, is already looking after the anti-corruption agency since Aftab Sultan tendered his resignation as the bureau’s chairman. Sultan had been appointed to the coveted post, which has a constitutionally protected tenure of five years, in July last year.
Newly-appointed acting chairman Zahir Shah has been working with NAB for more than a decade, and has already held several positions in the organisation, including that of director general NAB Rawalpindi.
In October 2021, Shah was appointed deputy chairman NAB, a position in which he oversaw the organisation’s general administration. He also assisted the chairman in the due discharge of the bureau's mandate.
As per rules, in the absence of the chairman, the deputy chairman serves as the acting chairman. However, the acting chairman cannot exercise the powers of a constitutionally appointed chairman, such as granting approval to the filing of any reference in accountability courts.