Daily Times

Karachi: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday directed National Accountability Bureau to complete inquiry against Ghulam Qadir Palijo, a former PPP MPA from Thatta within 60 days.

On Tuesday, an SHC bench headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh heard a petition filed by Ghumal Qadir Palijo against National Accountability Bureau about an inquiry against him on charges of accumulating wealth beyond his know sources of income and occupying government lands illegally.

The court had sought comment on the petition of Palijo from the Bureau. A NAB prosecutor told the court that inquiry against Palijo was going on.

He said that the Bureau was facing difficulty in getting the records of Thatta and Jhang Shahi lands. Upon this the CJ expressed his astonishment, saying that it was strange NAB is unable to get the records of land.

The prosecutor sought time from the court for filing comments.

Upon this, the CJ SHC directed NAB to complete inquiry against the petitioner within 60 days.

The court warned the investigation officer of NAB, saying that if he failed to complete the inquiry the court may ask Chairman NAB to take action against him.

The court also extended the interim bail before arrest granted to Palijo.

It is to be mentioned here that Palijo had moved to SHC against a NAB inquiry for allegedly accumulating wealth and assets beyond his known source of income as well as for occupying government land. Palijo, who is former PPP MPA from Thatta, had submitted in the petition that NAB’s board had approved the initiation of the inquiry.

He said that he was a former MPA and had submitted all details of his assets to the election commission but even then the inquiry was initiated against him with a mala fide intention. He had pleaded the court to direct NAB to quash the inquiry.

Published in Daily Times, August 16^th 2017.