ISLAMABAD - Apparently perturbed over the Supreme Court’s severe remarks on NAB’s partiality and inefficiency regarding cases of mega corruption it presently investigates, Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Admiral (Retd) Fasih Bokhari has ‘warned’ of stepping down alleging that the Bureau was unable to carry out its investigation process under the ‘undue’ pressure exerted on it by the Supreme Court. The Chairman NAB in a letter written to President Asif Ali Zardari has levelled serious charges of over-stepping the jurisdiction as well as powers and pre-poll rigging on the country’s apex court with the remarks that if these issues were not addressed expeditiously, he would be forced to resign. “I am constrained to observe and bring to your notice that the position of the Supreme Court, on this issue, remains clouded by actions that are bearing heavily on my mandate to strictly abide by the NAO (National Accountability Ordinance) in both letter and spirit, as the time for elections approaches,” he said.The Chairman has showed his apprehension that there was even a danger that NAB personnel could lose their independence and were unable to carry out their investigations in an independent manner due to the pressure being exerted on them by the SC to proceed along lines, which seemed to be desired by the SC. Some political observers are suspicious over the Chairman NAB’s move at a time when the apex court was hearing significant cases of corruption involving top officials and even Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. They suspect that the move may be a first step towards filing a reference against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. However, an informed source in the Presidency ruled out any possibility of filing a reference.

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