Daily Times

KARACHI: Former provincial minister, Sharjeel Inam Memon, was granted interim pre-arrest bail by the Sindh High Court in two corruption cases on Thursday.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Muhammad Farooq Shah approved bail for the PPP leader against a surety of Rs 2 million in each case with a bond of the same amount to the satisfaction of the court Nazir.

The bench directed the applicant to cooperate with the investigating agency in connection with the investigation into corruption scandals against him and appear before the trial court.

It also issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s prosecutor and federal law officer to respond to the bail petitions till April 17 when the cases are fixed for the confirmation of bail or otherwise.

The former provincial minister approached the high court seeking pre-arrest bail in the NAB cases.

He contended that he was being politically victimized for his association with the PPP. Several fabricated and false cases were instituted by the NAB against PPP leaders, he added.

Amir Raza Naqvi, the applicant’s lawyer, submitted that his client was innocent and had been implicated in the corruption cases. A reference was filed against him, whereas, he had been issued a call-up notice by the NAB in connection with an investigation into the allegations of illegal allotment and adjustment of lands in favour of Bahria Town.

He stated that Memon, being a respectable politician and law-abiding citizen, would cooperate with the investigating officer. There was apprehension of his harassment and maltreatment at the hands of the investigating agency, Naqvi said while requesting the court to grant him pre-arrest bail.

He pleaded the judges to declare the NAB reference and the investigation against him as void and unlawful.

The former information minister is facing a corruption reference relating to alleged the award of advertisements at exorbitant rates, causing loss of over Rs5 billion to the national exchequer.

The NAB had initiated the investigation against him for allegedly getting the state land allotted and adjusted in 43 Dehs at throw-away prices for property developer Bahria Town, depriving the public exchequer of billions of rupees in revenue.