Daily Times

An accountability court on Friday extended the judicial remand of Khawaja Mustafa Zulqarnain Majeed, a son of Omni Group chairman, Khawaja M Salman Younis, a close relative of Majeed and Waheed Ahmed Malik, an official of the firm. The three accused were produced before the Accountability Court-I Judge Muhammad Bashir in mega money laundering and fake accounts investigation. The court extended their judicial remand until August 27.

It may be mentioned here that former president Asif Zardari, his close aide and business partners Anwar Majeed and his son Abdul Ghani Majeed, former Pakistan Stock Exchange chairman Hussain Lawai and banker Taha Raza had also been arrested in fake accounts case by NAB.

Meanwhile, the same court extended the judicial remand of Dr Dinshaw Anklesaria till August 26. Dr Dinshaw was facing charges of taking a loan on forged documents. He is also said to be involved in benefiting Park Lane Company through fake bank accounts.

This court also rejected the request of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for further extension of physical remand of accused Ali Akber Abru and sent the accused jail on judicial remand.

Abru was accused of taking bribe worth Rs 5 million and inflicting loss to national exchequer in Thattha Water Supply scheme also connected with fake accounts case.

Meanwhile, an accountability court on Friday adjourned hearing of assets reference against Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani and others until August 07.

Agha Siraj and other accused were produced before the court on Friday. The court adjourned the hearing due to absence of the National Accountability Bureau’s investigation officer, Asif Raza, who couldn’t appear due to NAB cases in Sindh High Court.

The compliance report about serving the court notice to absconding accused could not be submitted to the court today.

Siraj Durrani talking to media repeated his lament about being in detention. “I am in detention, don’t know what is happening outside,” replying media questions he said. “I am not going anywhere. My younger brother is going to perform Hajj,” he told a reporter.

“A politician always loves to remain in public. I am being kept in prison for six month without public dealing, but soon I will among them Insha Allah,” he told media. In previous hearing Durrani other accused were provided the copies of the NAB reference. Earlier, a bench of Sindh High Court (SHC) had refused a plea of Durrani seeking suspension of NAB reference proceedings against him.

The NAB has filed a reference pertaining to assets beyond means of income against Agha Siraj Durrani and others. The NAB named 20 persons including Agha Siraj as accused in the reference filed in accountability court Karachi after an inquiry. According to the NAB charge-sheet the accused were involved in corruption of upto 1.6 billion rupees. The NAB executive board had approved filing of a reference against Agha Siraj Durrani in assets case. The NAB Karachi had arrested Agha Siraj Durrani from a hotel in Islamabad in February this year.

Separately, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) Chairman Mustafa Kamal on Friday filed a pre-arrest bail in Sindh High Court (SHC) in illegal land allotment case.

According to details, the leader has arrived at the court and submitted his bail plea to avoid arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

An accountability court judge had taken notice of the former mayor’s absence despite being issued a notice and directed him to appear before the court on July 27.

The NAB had filed a reference against Kamal and others regarding the alleged illegal allotment of around 5,500 square yards of commercial land to Bahria Town for a multi-storey building.