The Pakistan Information Commission has refused to release the asset details of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal and its directors, citing privacy concerns.
In its decision, PIC Commissioner Zahid Abdullah said disclosing assets details of the NAB officers and their families would “compromise their privacy”.
He further said that the commission will also not reveal the details of directors, assistant directors, and regional director generals of the accountability watchdog for the same reasons. The PIC commissioner also said that the issue didn’t pertain to the public interest.
The PIC decision came after a citizen, Asadullah, approached NAB, seeking assets details of the NAB officials. However, the bureau refused to provide these details prompting Asad to move the PIC against the NAB decision.
In a plea, the petitioner urged the commission to release details of the NAB officers before and after their induction in NAB.
NAB, the apex accountability body, was established through a presidential ordinance in 1999 by military dictator General Pervez Musharraf one month after taking office as a result of a military coup. The purpose of the watchdog was to investigate and prosecute officials involved in corruption.
However, it has come under increasing criticism for acting against the critics of the Imran Khan-led government during the past couple of years.
On July 20, 2020, Pakistan’s Supreme Court, in an 87-page decision, ruled that the National Accountability Bureau had violated the rights to a fair trial and due process in the arrest of two opposition politicians, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Salman Rafique, whom the NAB detained for 15 months without reasonable grounds.
Subsequently, the Human Rights Watch said that Pakistani authorities should follow up on a recent Supreme Court decision and cease using the NAB to detain critics of the government. NAB, however, says it is independent in its decision-making process.
