Federal Law Minister Farogh Naseem and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the President of Pakistan would appoint National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman after consultation with the Opposition Leader in National Assembly.

According to 24News HD TV Channel, both the federal ministers held a joint press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday and said Prime Minister Imran Khan would not make consultancy with the Opposition Leader on the matter of the NAB chairman’s appointment.

They informed that under the NAB amended ordinance, the matter of appointment of the NAB chairman would go to the parliamentary committee if the government and opposition heads failed to reach a consensus.

They said that until the new appointment, Javed Iqbal would continue his services as the NAB chairman. They also informed that various names would also be considered for the appointment of a new chairman.

They also said that the Speaker National Assembly would make the parliamentary committee comprising of six members each from the opposition and treasury benches.

They said complaints against the NAB chairman could be lodged in the Supreme Judicial Council, adding that the ordinance for the appointment of Chairman NAB was valid but an act would also lay in the House in this regard.

The law minister said tax matters and private transactions were being separated from the jurisdiction of the NAB so now the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) would look into all tax matters. 

Farogh said that it had been recommended to set up 90 NAB courts having the right of granting bail to the accused across the country.

He said that after the consensus of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, the President of Pakistan would appoint the Chairman NAB and if no name was agreed upon between the PM and the OL, then the matter will go to a parliamentary committee.

The Information Minister invited the opposition to add more amendments to the NAB ordinance if they wanted.

Fawad said that the number of courts had also been increased and their procedures had been changed. He added that the NAB Prosecutor General would file a reference.

The minister also reiterated the government’s stance that PM Imran Khan would not consult opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif.

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