On January 6, NAB Chief Justice (r) Javed Iqbal will brief members of the Public Accounts Committee in private. He has threatened to resign if he is unable to satisfy the members of the parliamentary body, The Asian Mirror reported.
On Tuesday, the head of the anti-graft watchdog appeared before the Public Accounts Committee to answer questions about the NAB audit posed by the parliamentary panel. The committee has requested that the NAB head bring audit documents with him.
APC Chairman Rana Tanveer told Javed Iqbal that he admired him but that “you took too long to appear before the APC.” He claimed that Mr Iqbal only told him about the NAB’s efficiency in front of the media. “You should have confidence in the parliamentary committee.” “Because you’re a former judge, people have high expectations of you,” he added.
It was decided that the PAC would hold an in-camera session on January 6 in which the NAB chief would answer the committee’s questions in detail.
“I will satisfy the committee members on every issue, and if I fail to do so, I will go home straight,” retired Justice Javed Iqbal said.
When asked by a journalist after the PAC meeting why he was dubbed the “daily wages chairman” by PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Mr Iqbal said only those with cases against them were dissatisfied with him. “Their statements have no weight,” he added.
A journalist asked him if there were no corrupt government officials. “Don’t you know that NAB is investigating the Sabteen Khan affair and the billion trees project?” he retorted.
He went on to say that the FIA, not the NAB, was looking into the flour and wheat scandals.
The NAB head reiterated that discussing’selective accountability’ was completely unjustified because it had never occurred in the past and would never occur in the future.
He stated that he has always respected and will continue to respect parliament. He stated that he was unable to attend the parliament previously due to his hectic schedule.
In response to a question about why he was being chastised for getting a tenure extension, Mr Iqbal joked that those who promulgated the NAB ordinance, not him, should be chastised.
