LHC extends interim bail of Saad and Salman Rafique in the Paragon City scam

A division bench of Lahore High Court on Wednesday extended for 15 days the protective bail to former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq and former health minister Khawaja Salman Rafiq a day before their appearance before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Paragon City scam.

Earlier, the bench comprising Justice Baqar Ali Najfi and Justice Anwarul Haq Pannun on October 15 had granted interim protective bail to both the brothers.

The counsel of accused brother pleaded that they had nothing to do with Paragon City as they had already provided NAB with all information required by the interrogators but they were being summoned time and again with mala fide intension.

He submitted that NAB had lost its credibility and its independence had been compromised for irrelevant consideration. He claimed that since the illegal arrest of Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, it had become a matter of public knowledge that the officials of the NAB had been abusing the process of law for political victimisation.

He also alleged that NAB had become a stooge in the hands of the incumbent government and resorted to victimisation of political opponents including the petitioners.

He said that both the brothers had apprehensions that NAB would also arrest them on their appearance before its investigation team. He requested to grant them protective bail so that they could approach the court of competent jurisdiction in case the NAB issued their arrest warrants.

Earlier, in their petition filed in the LHC, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Salman Rafiq stated that NAB is harassing them and wants to arrest them. The two brothers further said that they had provided all record regarding allegations levelled against them.

The anti-graft body had launched a probe against Saad and his brother in the Paragon Housing Society scam. The two brothers had moved the Islamabad High Court to provide a protective bail which the latter had rejected and advised the petitioners to approach the LHC.

Published in Daily Times, October 25^th 2018.