Aftab Sultan, the former director general of the Intelligence Bureau and Punjab inspector general of police, will be the next chairman of the National Accountability Bureau.

The federal cabinet has approved the nomination of Aftab Sultan, a retired BPS-22 officer of the Police Services of Pakistan. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah confirmed the news in a press conference in Karachi.

Sultan served as the director general of IB on two separate occasions. He served in the role during the tenures of the PPP (2011) and the PML-N (2013), the two parties are key partners in the current ruling coalition.

Sultan was the Punjab police chief during the caretaker setup leading up to the 2013 general elections. It was at that time that PTI chief Imran Khan, who later became prime minister, made the “35 puncture” claim, accusing the PML-N of rigging on 35 National Assembly seats with the help of the caretaker government headed by journalist Najam Sethi.