SC throws out NAB’s reference against Shell company

Accepting the Shell’s (a petroleum company) plea, the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday threw out the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) reference pertaining to the illegal sale of jet fuel by the Civil Aviation Authority, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.   

A three-member bench of the SC, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial, heard the Shell’s appeal.

Expressing his displeasure on the occasion, CJP Bandial urged the NAB to think before acting against investors. “Don’t initiate any action against them unless there are concrete proofs against them,” he said, and opined that it was due to the bureau’s unnecessary activities that investors were fleeing from the country.   

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah asked the anti-corruption watchdog to name one such law under which P-I fuel could not be sold to a private firm. “Counsel for the NAB has failed to satisfy the court,” he remarked. 

“This case has been dragging on since 2018. Why not the bureau be made to pay fine for that,” he said, and asked the NAB’s counsel to tell as to why he had not studied the relevant laws before filing the petition on behalf of his client.    

Justice Ayesha A. Malik wondered as to what was the problem with the anti-corruption body when there was not a single allegation of corruption in its reference. 

Makhdoom Ali Khan, representing Shell in the case, told the court that the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) had complained against his client. “There is no law which prohibits the sale of P-I fuel to a private company,” he added. 

Reporter: Amanat Gishkori