'You people are crossing limits': CJP Nisar bristles at NAB official

KARACHI - Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mian Saqib Nisar admonished National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Karachi chief Naseer Awan for ‘crossing limits and humiliating people.

During the hearing of a case on Tuesday, the top judge passed harsh comments and questioned the bureau’s motive behind investigation against a lawyer, Salman Hamid.

“Aren’t you ashamed of bothering people without any reason? …  you people are crossing limits … today your heads are down but have no shame,” Justice Nisar was quoted as saying while hearing a petition against the NAB’s notice to the lawyer.

The NAB Karachi director general informed the court that the notice was issued after Hamid lodged a case without prior permission of a suspect.

“You issue notice when someone perform professional duty … you insult people by summoning them. Is this why the Almighty chose you? You show them around police lockups and then even the Supreme Court fails to spot them for the next six months,” the top judge was quoted as saying by Express-News.

The chief justice not only barred NAB from summoning Salman Hamid for inquiry but also directed the bureau to send a questionnaire to the lawyer for investigation.

Earlier in the day, lawyers staged a protest against NAB’s inquiry against Hamid outside the apex court’s Karachi Registry; they raised slogans against the accountability watchdog and were later called in at Court Number 1 by the CJP.