Daily Times

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was ordered by The Sindh High Court (SHC) to complete its investigation against Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in the time span of four weeks.

Durrani is accused of accumulating assets beyond his known sources of income as well as embezzling public funds, claimed by the NAB officials.

In a hearing held today, SHC Judge Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh queried about the progress of the investigation. The officer heading the investigation told the court that they are done with the initial investigation and Durrani’s remand was over. He further notified the court that a detailed investigation is still going on.

The court ordered the NAB director to wind up the investigation in four weeks, by May 29. Court asked for the submission of an investigation report after two weeks.

The NAB investigator notified the court that Durrani was in possession of 25 cars which were suspected to be acquired illegally.

Four weeks’ time was asked by the NAB investigator to file a reference against Durrani. The court said that if the reference is not filed at the end of four weeks, the verdict will be given on the basis of the evidence already presented to it.

Durrani’s lawyer said in court that his client has been in prison and that the court should hear a bail plea filed by Durrani as the PA speaker’s stance is that his arrest has been made on illegal grounds and that he has been politically victimised.

“We have people here who have been languishing in prisons for years,” replied the court.

Durrani said in his application for bail, “The means used for my arrest were illegal, I was arrested for the sake of political revenge. During the raid at my house, women were misbehaved with. NAB has not been able to present any reason for procuring my remand,”

Durrani, in his application, demanded that his arrest be deemed illegal and the inquiry against him be stopped while he is freed on bail.