Deputy-chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Zahir Shah has been appointed acting chairman of the anti-corruption agency.
Friday, the organization announced in a public notice that Zahir will continue to lead the anti-corruption agency until a new chairman is appointed. “In pursuance of the proviso[n] to Section 6(b)(v) of amended NAO 1999, Mr. Zahir Shah shall act as Chairman, National Accountability Bureau, with effect from 22-02-2023 and till the appointment of new chairman, under the ordinance,” the notification stated.
Since Aftab Sultan resigned as the bureau’s head, Zahir has served as the bureau’s deputy chairman. The newly appointed acting chairman has been with the agency for almost ten years and has held various posts, including the coveted position of Director General NAB Rawalpindi.
In October 2021, Zahir was appointed vice chairman of the NAB and responsible for the organization’s operations.
Read: NAB Chairman Aftab Sultan resigns
It is a constitutional requirement that the prime minister consults with the opposition leader in the National Assembly before choosing the NAB chairman.
In the absence of the chairman, the vice chairman, who lacks the constitutional authority of the chairman, serves as chairman. The chairman must approve any court reference before filing.
The former chairman, the Sultan, resigned in less than a year because he refused to “tow the line” of the governing government.
The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) administration named him as head of the anti-corruption agency on July 21, 2022, for a three-year term, after Justice (retired) Javed Iqbal’s term expired last year.
 Zahir Shah has been appointed acting chairman of the anti-corruption agency.){kind=link}