ISLAMABAD, Dec 4: The National Accountability Bureau on Tuesday summoned former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Dec 11 to record his statement in a case pertaining to the implementation of the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance.

“A notice has been served on Mr Gilani requesting him to appear before NAB’s investigators and record his statement,” bureau spokesman Zafar Iqbal told Dawn.

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Fawwad Chaudhry, who also held the post when Mr Gilani was in office, said the former prime minister would not appear before NAB.

The NAB official said Mr Gilani had been called on the directives of the Supreme Court for appointing his friend Adnan A. Khwaja managing director of the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited in Sept 2010 in violation of rules.

Mr Khwaja was not eligible to be appointed for any government office as he had been convicted in a case. However, he was given relief under the NRO and given the key post in the OGDCL. The NAB spokesman said Mr Gilani had been asked to submit his stance on the matter in two weeks.

The Supreme Court had declared Mr Khwaja’s appointment as null and void.

Mr Chaudhry said under Article 248 of the Constitution no court proceedings could be held against the president, prime minister, governors and ministers.

When pointed out that Mr Gilani was not prime minister at present, he said even then no legal proceedings could be initiated against him because Mr Khwaja’s appointment had been made when Mr Gilani was in office.

Mr Chaudhry said the Federal Investigation Agency had also called Mr Gilani in a separate case last month but he did not appear before the FIA on the same grounds that he enjoyed immunity under Article 248.