The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) claimed on Thursday that Prime Minister Imran Khan had barred NAB Chairman Javed Iqbal from appearing before parliamentary committees, including the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

A closed-door session of the PAC was to be held today under the chairmanship of MP Rana Tanveer Hussain, which the head of the NAB did not attend.

The reason for Iqbal’s absence was revealed in a letter written by the NAB to the secretary of the assembly, which stated that Prime Minister Imran had approved “that the director general would represent the chairman of the NAB in his capacity as accountant. principal, before parliamentary committees, including PACs, constitutional and statutory bodies ”.

The letter claimed that the decision had been taken “taking into account the statutory functions and responsibilities of the president of the NAB”.

In addition, key accountants were prohibited from appearing before constitutional and autonomous bodies.

Objecting to the letter, PAC chairman Rana Tanveer said he would write a letter to the Cabinet division to verify the NAB letter.

He added that if the rules give the prime minister the power to choose the CEO as a representative instead of the president, the committee will accept the letter.

Tanveer added that the position of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was different from that of the chairman of the NAB, saying the latter should be held accountable.

“If the government does not hold him accountable, there will be abuse of the law. The money spent by the president of the NAB during his tenure will have to be taken into account, ”he argued.

According to the PAC president, the cabinet secretary should have informed him by telephone and in writing if the notification had been made in accordance with the law, and not because they are “dear to the Prime Minister”.

He said they should heed what the law says, adding that the government should keep in mind that this would have “far-reaching impacts”.

Member of the National Assembly Noor Alam Khan – who is a member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf – during a conversation with the media, said the meeting was called at the request of the NAB chairman, who claimed that ‘he would be present, and had even chosen the date of the meeting himself.

He claimed that it was wrong to involve the prime minister, because if the letter was from prime minister Imran, it would come from his secretariat or from the Cabinet division.

“The NAB cannot write letters to the National Assembly,” he said.

Pakistan People’s Party Senator Sherry Rehman said the NAB chairman himself last week asked the PAC to hold a closed-door meeting, in which he said he would present himself. recovery figures.

“It was a sensitive issue and we all gave up our jobs to come to this meeting because our party also stressed the importance of the meeting,” she said.

The senator maintained that the meeting was set as per the request of the NAB chairman, on the date he had chosen, and was in camera because he had requested it.

“We received a letter overnight regarding this decision,” she told media.

Speaking to Twitter, Sherry Rehman added that “all board members with consensus found this unacceptable and advised the PAC chairman to end the meeting.” She further stated that “no one is above the law”.

PPP MP Naveed Qamar also claimed that the NAB chairman did not want to be held accountable by parliamentary leaders, but rather wanted them to be held accountable to him.

“The federal cabinet does not have the power to prohibit the president of the NAB from attending the PAC,” he added.

During a previous hearing, the president of the NAB assured the PAC that he would return home if he could not satisfy him with the appropriation of the accounts and the progress report on the recoveries of the NAB since its creation, during a closed-door briefing to be held in January. 6, 2022.

The assurance came after the PAC toasted him about unauthorized excess spending while suggesting that it be cleared with the National Assembly in the next mini-budget, otherwise the amount was recoverable from the NAB.

In his last appearance before parliament’s highest accountability forum, the NAB chairman emphatically said that there should be no doubt that parliament is a supreme institution, adding that his previous absence did not mean it was a king who can’t appear before PAC.