Senate Body Dismayed Over NAB For Not Providing Documents In Time

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th August, 2016) : The Senate Committee on Law and Justice on Monday expressed dismay over the officials of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for not providing the list of deputationists with details of their grades and date of absorption in the Bureau in time. The committee, which met here with Murtaza Javed Abbasi in the chair, discussed a point raised by Senator Saeed Ghani regarding recalling/withdrawal of order by the NAB chairman wherein acting/current charges were given to various officers of the Bureau in violation of the rules and reappointment of same officers on the same day in Own Pay Scale. During the meeting, Senator Farook H Naek said that working paper was provided on Monday morning which was not a good practice.

Without going through the list how could one give opinion on the issue, he added. He said that all documents should be delivered to the members well in time. Farook Naek said over 65 lawyers were martyred and 60 injured in the Quetta blast. To this, the committte chairman asked Federal Minister for Law Zahid Hamid to provide financial assistance to the families of martyred and injured lawyers. The minister said that the ministry had employed the son of a poor lawyer and it was also helping the injured lawyers. The committee also discussed "The Supreme Court Number of Judges (Amendment) Bill" moved by Senator Zaheeruddin Babar.

The bill calls for appointment of "at least one-third female judges" in the Supreme Court, one each from the four provinces and Islamabad and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The committee unanimously decided to give a chance to Babar Awan to defend his Bill. In its earlier meeting, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) unanimously opposed the private member's bill in the Senate Law Committee, seeking representation of women judges in the superior judiciary on quota system. SCBA President Ali Zafar said the quota system in the judiciary was discouraged and the merit was followed.

"There is shortage of senior women judges and lawyers in the high courts, and in such a situation this bill will not be applicable," he said. IHCBA President Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri said that according to the bill, there should be at least six women judges, out of 17, in the Supreme Court.

He questioned, "What they would do if tomorrow they could not find out a woman lawyer fulfilling the requirements and qualification criteria for the appointment as judge in the superior courts. Will that seat be kept vacant?" he asked. Representatives of the Islamabad Bar Council and Punjab Bar Council also opposed the bill and suggested that it should be deferred.