The government has planned to appoint former bureaucrat Fawad Hassan Fawad as chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) rather than appointing a judge for the slot.
نیب ملزم سابق پرنسپل سیکرٹری ٹو پرائم منسٹر فواد حسن فواد کا نام چئیرمین #NAB کےلئے فائنل قبل ازیں سابق ڈی جی #FIA بشیر میمن کا نام پیپلز پارٹی کی مخالفت کے باعث ڈراپ
— Asad Kharal (@AsadKharal) May 27, 2022
According to ARY News, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Opposition leader Raja Riaz initially discussed three names for the slot.
Apart from Fawad, the government also considered ex-chairman NAB Qamar-uz-Zaman and former DG FIA Bashir Memon for the post.
Following the meeting with Prime Minister, Raja Riaz said a name for the slot would be announced by June 02.
ARY cited sources as saying that the two parties have agreed to consult over the names with their allies.
Who is Fawad Hassan Fawad?
Fawad was the principal secretary to former PM Nawaz Sharif. On August 3, 2018, NAB arrested him for amassing wealth beyond known sources of his income and constructing a mega plaza in Rawalpindi. The value of the property is said to be over Rs12 billion.
Read more: Fawad Hassan Fawad granted bail by Lahore High Court
“The accused, being a public office holder, had acquired assets and pecuniary interests or resources in his name or the name of his benamidars to the tune of Rs1bn, which were disproportionate to the known sources of his income and which he could not reasonably account for,” Dawn reported.
He was also allegedly involved in the Rs14 billion Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme scam.
Fawad allegedly canceled the lawful award of the housing scheme in a bid to give the same to a company of his choice.
However, he was granted bail by the Lahore High Court on January 21, 2020.