Daily Times

Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa on Tuesday said, any person who has been found guilty for corruption will have to pay  fine “even if they are dead”.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and comprising Justice Mushir Alam and Yahya Afridi heard a case filed by wife of late DSP Akhtar Kiyani against the high court verdict.

During the course of proceedings, the court ordered Mrs Riaz Bibi, wife of late DSP Akhtar Kiana to pay a sum of Rs30 million on her appeal against the high court verdict. It is pertinent to mention here that the Accountability Court awarded late DSP and his wife 10 years and five years sentence respectively and imposed Rs30 million fine in the case of corruption and illegal use of power.

He observed that the plot was purchased on a price of Rs20.5 million 25 years ago which will be of worth Rs2.5 billion now.

He remarked that fine of Rs30 million imposed in 2003 is much less as per today adding that the fined amount can be raised but it cannot be slashed. The NAB Prosecutor said the JamilAkhtar appointed in 1959 and retired in 1995 as Deputy Superintendent Police.

The counsel for Mrs Riaz Bibi said that his client could not pay fine amount. The NAB also froze bank accounts of his client opened after 1995. The chief justice remarked that the fine amount could not be reduced rather it could be enhanced.

Bhatti chose to serve two years in prison instead of paying the fine. The high court, in a later verdict, stated that since he had served additional time in prison, he did not have to pay the fine and returned his properties that were earlier confiscated.

The National Accountability Bureau had challenged the verdict in the top court. During today’s hearing, the chief justice said that the BHC had misunderstood the judgement by the SC.

Bhatti argued that he had already served seven years in prison.

“After serving seven years in jail, have your properties bought by money earned through corruption become legal?” Justice Khosa asked.

“Fine will have to be paid even if the prison sentence has been served,” the chief justice concluded.