ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry went on leave for an indefinite period soon after the Supreme Court ordered action against him in the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) case on Friday.

Mr Zaman, who served as NAB chief for about 40 days, informed President Mamnoon Hussain that he was going on leave for personal reasons.

It is believed that he left the office because the apex court ordered NAB to further investigate the case in which he was accused of facilitating the appointment of former NICL chairman as additional commerce secretary and removing the investigating officer from the case.

“The chairman on his own request to the president has proceeded on leave,” NAB spokesman Ramzan Sajid said.

Qamar Zaman, said to be close to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was appointed on Oct 10, but the appointment was challenged by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in the Supreme Court.

Before going on leave, Mr Zaman delegated his powers to the deputy chairman. The spokesman said Mr Zaman did not want to influence the NICL investigation and, therefore, he preferred to go on leave till the case was decided.

But he also faces a contempt of court case for removing an FIA official overseeing investigation into the NICL scam.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Ahmed Shah of the PPP came to the defence of Mr Zaman and said in a statement that the SC decision to initiate a case against the NAB chairman was an ‘insult’ to parliament. “Qamar Zaman Chaudhry’s appointment was made solely in accordance with the constitution and that he was not involved in corruption,” he claimed.

Mr Shah said there was a prescribed method in the constitution to remove NAB chairman and he could not be sent home in what he called an un-constitutional manner.