LHC bench hearing Chaudhry brothers’ plea against NAB dismantles

LAHORE: Justice Farooq Haider has recused himself from the bench hearing the plea of Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) leaders against the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

A Lahore High Court (LHC) bench heard the plea of PML-Q leaders challenging the authority of NAB chairman, alleging that the anti-graft watchdog is involved in political engineering.

LHC Bar Association president Tahir Nasarullah Warraich objected to the presence of Justice Haider on the bench. “The judge had represented the Chaudhry brothers in a number of cases before his elevation,” he raised the point on the appearance of justice Farooq on the bench.

Earlier, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi filed a petition in the LHC against the authorities of the NAB Chairman Javed Iqbal.

In the petition, Chaudhry brothers stated that the NAB has become a political institution, and courts have also ruled against the role of the bureau and its process of investigation. The petitioners also stated that the chairman of the bureau has ordered to reinvestigate 19 years old cases against them.

According to Chaudhry brothers, Chairman NAB does not have the power to reopen a 19-year-old closed inquiry against them. “This is purely political revenge. We request the court to declare illegal NAB’s move to reopen inquiry into assets beyond income case against us,” the petitioners stated.

The NAB had summoned Chaudhry brothers in assets beyond income case. According to the bureau, a number of shares are found in various companies under the name of Chaudhry brothers and their families. Other than these shares, details of hefty transactions to different banks under their names had also emerged.