ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Admiral (retd) Fasih Bukhari on Friday took notice of lawmakers showing their ballot papers before casting their votes in a secrete ballot to oust Balochistan Assembly speaker last week, DawnNews reported.

Bukhari has directed the DG NAB Balochistan to submit a report within seven days on the entire episode, said a statement issued by the bureau.

Lawmakers of the treasury benches were caught on screen showing their ballots to two senior officials before polling in a no-confidence move against Balochistan Speaker Muhammad Aslam Bhootani.

The statement issued by the NAB headquarters said that showing of ballots indicated misuse of authority and makes a farce of the secrete ballot process.

“Chairman NAB has therefore, instructed the DG NAB Balochistan to submit a report within seven days on the entire episode,” said the statement.

The provincial assembly had adopted a no-trust motion against the speaker on Wednesday. Except JUI-F members, the members from PPP and PML-Q showed their marked ballots to two senior officers of the chief minister’s secretariat.

A rift between Chief Minister Aslam Raisani and the speaker widened after the latter’s refusal to chair sessions of the assembly in wake of the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Balochistan law and order case–APP/DawnNews