Aftab Sultan resigns as NAB chairman

ISLAMABAD: Aftab Sultan has resigned as the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), just eight months into the job.

The Pakistan Democratic Movement government, led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Shehbaz Sharif, appointed Aftab Sultan as the NAB chairman on July 21, 2022 for three years. Aftab Sultan replaced Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal as the anti-graft body chief.

A Prime Minister Office statement confirmed that Aftab Sultan has presented his resignation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, citing personal reasons.

“The prime minister appreciated the services of Aftab Sultan and lauded his honesty and uprightness. Upon his insistence, the prime minister reluctantly accepted the resignation of Sultan,” said the PM Office.

Local media reports said Aftab Sultan tendered his resignation as he was asked to do certain things which were not acceptable to him.

He told a news channel: “I told them that I cannot continue with the conditions. My resignation has been accepted and it comes to an end on a positive note,” he said. “Prime minister expressed good wishes for me, I also have good wishes for him.”

Aftab Sultan also served as inspector general of Punjab Police and was later appointed as director general of the Intelligence Bureau. He also served as IB’s director-general during the tenure of then-prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.