The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday issued notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and sought a reply by May 11 on a petition filed by the Chaudhry brothers, challenging the powers of its chairman.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem and Justice Farooq Haider passed the orders after the LHC declared the petition maintainable.

During the court proceedings, Amjad Pervaiz Advocate, counsel for the petitioners, objected to the composition of the bench, saying Justice Farooq served as lawyer for his clients.

PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was present in the courtroom during the hearing.

On Wednesday, the Chaudhry brothers moved the LHC against the powers of NAB chairman, saying he ordered to open a matter again which had been closed 19 years ago.

The PML-Q leaders, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Pervaiz Elahi, argued in their petition that the NAB investigated the matter of assets beyond means 19 years ago but could not prove anything against them. The matter was closed after they could not prove the allegation, they added.

According to the petitioners, the NAB chairman does not have the authority to reopen an inquiry that was 19 years old and had already been closed.

Requesting the court to declare the move null and void, the two leaders said they belonged to a political family and had gone through political victimisation.