ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday accepted the resignation of the top official of Pakistan’s anti-graft body, confirmed an official statement, while praising him for his professional integrity.

The government appointed Aftab Sultan as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman last July after his predecessor Justice (r) Javed Iqbal relinquished the post.

Sultan previously supervised the country’s Intelligence Bureau, Pakistan’s oldest civilian spy agency established in 1947.

“The Chairman National Accountability Bureau, Mr. Aftab Sultan presented his resignation to Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif citing personal reasons,” said a brief statement released by the PM Office. “The Prime Minister appreciated the services of Mr. Aftab Sultan and lauded his honesty and uprightness.”

“Upon his insistence, the Prime Minister reluctantly accepted the resignation of Mr. Sultan,” the statement continued.

Pakistan’s Geo New TV quoted Sultan as saying he decided to step down since he had been “asked to do certain things which were not acceptable” to him. However, he did not share further details with the media outlet.

NAB is widely viewed as a weapon wielded by governments against opposition factions. Some politicians have also described it as tool for political engineering by both civilian and military administrations.

Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party (PTI) welcomed Sultan’s decision to resign, describing it as a huge leap toward the end of the “fascist system” in the country.

“Aftab Sultan resigned while reacting against interference in his work,” Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, senior PTI vice president, said.

He also asked other bureaucrats to distance themselves from the incumbent government, saying it would be beneficial for the country.