IHC issues notice to NAB chairman in contempt petition

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday issued notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman retired Lt-Gen Nazir Ahmed Butt, on a petition seeking contempt proceeding against him for not disbursing the amount collected in the Mudaraba scam to affected persons.

The IHC division bench, comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, took up the petition filed by the victims of the Mudaraba scam.

Advocate Maulana Wajheeullah, counsel for the petitioners, adopted the case before the court on February 2, 2016.

The court convicted Bilal Khan Bangash in the Mudaraba case and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment with a fine of Rs10 million.

Mr Wajheeullah referred the IHC direction to NAB on October 24, 2019 to auction the assets of the convict to compensate the affected parties.

The advocate said that despite the lapse of four years, the bureau has yet to comply with the IHC’s direction.

He added that the affected parties contacted NAB time and again, but to no avail.

Mr Wajheeullah requested the court to initiate a contempt of court proceeding against the NAB chairman for defying the court’s direction and the IHC bench, after the preliminary hearing, issued notice to NAB and adjourned the hearing.