Asad Mahmood skips NAB appearance despite fresh summons

ISLAMABAD: Former federal minister Asad Mahmood failed to appear before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on November 13 despite being summoned in an inquiry into alleged illegal appointments in the Pakistan Post Office Department, sources said.

According to sources, neither Asad Mahmood nor any representative on his behalf appeared before NAB today.

Sources said Asad Mahmood had submitted a written response to the bureau on November 10 through his lawyer. A decision on issuing another summons to him will be taken after consultations, they added.

Earlier, NAB had issued another call-up notice to Asad Mahmood, son of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazal ur Rehman, in connection with the inquiry into alleged illegal appointments in the Pakistan Post Office Department.

NAB Rawalpindi is investigating allegations of illegal appointments involving officers, employees and other individuals in the department.

Asad Mahmood, who served as federal minister for Communications and Postal Services from 2022 to 2023, was initially directed to appear before NAB in person on November 10, 2026. However, he failed to appear and instead submitted a written response through his lawyer.

NAB officials declared his response unsatisfactory and issued another notice, directing him to appear in person on November 13, 2026, at 11am.

The notice stated that legal action could be initiated against him under Section 31 of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 in case of non-compliance.

Previously, Asad Mahmood was also declared a deliberate defaulter and an absconder from investigation after failing to appear before the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in a separate illegal recruitment case.