ISLAMABAD, June 26: The Supreme Court directed Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Affairs Abdul Rehman Malik on Tuesday to file with the court office his written submissions explaining reasons for change of the FIA team investigating the alleged corruption of Rs26 billion in Pakistan Steel Mills.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry hearing a contempt of court case against Rehman Malik grilled him for his role in changing the FIA team formed on the court’s orders.

When Mr Malik said he wanted to file submissions, he was told to submit these to the court office.

The contempt notice was issued to Mr Malik on May 16 — the day the court announced a 57-page detailed verdict in the PSM corruption case.

It had ordered the transfer of inquiry into the scam from the Federal Investigation Agency to the National Accountability Bureau and asked the latter to complete the process in three months.

The court had also directed the NAB to file cases for the cancellation of bails of the accused, including former PSM chairman Moeen Aftab and submit fortnightly progress report to the SC office.

JUDGES’ APPOINTMENT: During the hearing of a constitutional petition, the same bench directed the Ministry of Law and Justice to complete the process of appointing judges to anti-corruption courts in Karachi and Hyderabad within three days.

“The accused get the advantage of absence of judges and courts are blamed for the lapse. This court has failed to understand why the government is delaying the appointment,” Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry asked.

The court also ordered early appointment of judges in banking courts across the country.

Earlier, the court was informed that the anti-corruption court in Karachi had been without a judge since May last year.

The case will be taken up again on Monday.