NAB Chairman Aftab Sultan Resigns After Just 7 Months

Aftab Sultan on Tuesday resigned as the Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after just seven months of assuming charge.

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office earlier today said that Sultan presented his resignation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif citing personal reasons. The premier accepted his resignation and thanked him for his service.

In his farewell address to NAB officers today, Sultan said he was extremely happy and satisfied that he was able to uphold his principles as chairman of the apex anti-corruption watchdog and expressed complete faith in young officers of the organization to uphold the principles of high moral values and the rule of law.

The ex-Chairman was critical of the political and economic mess ailing the country, commenting that “every political government is mandated by the people to complete its 5 years term and no individual or group is authorized to remove a government in the name of national interest”.

“I cannot initiate a false case against anyone nor can I drop an established reference against someone merely on the grounds that the culprit is a relative of some big shot,” he added.

He assumed charge as NAB Chairman in July 2022. He is a retired BPS-22 officer who served as the IB’s director general between 2011 and 2013. He began his career as a civil servant in Pakistan’s Police Service.