Daily Times

The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday adjourned hearing of four bail petitions of JUI-F leader Akram Khan Durrani till January 15.

“The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has to convince the court under the new accountability law over the matter”, Chief Justice Athar Minallah remarked during the hearing. The chief justice in his remarks said, “The public office holders are not principal accounting officers, which are bureaucrats”. “The new ordinance has shielded all bureaucrats who hold the authority,” the chief justice said. “These all cases are about misuse of the authority,” Justice Athar Minallah said.

“Recommendation to a person, who holds authority, over a matter is not misuse of authority. Those who were holding the authority have been given shield under the new NAB ordinance,” the justice remarked. The NAB has to convince the court over the matter when a person holding authority has been protected in the new law,” the bench told NAB prosecutor Jahanzeb Bharwana.

“The new law has raised several questions”, the bench said.

“It is hard to understand for the court, a person who doesn’t hold authority, why he be held responsible (for a decision) and arrested,” the chief justice questioned. NAB prosecutor told the court that Akram Durrani made illegal recruitment despite not holding authority to do so. He said that it was the first case after the new ordinance came into force. He sought time for further arguments over the matter. The bench granted time to the NAB to convince the court over the matter.

The court adjourned the hearing of bail petitions until January 15. Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court extended pre-arrest bail of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sharjeel Memon till January 7 in Roshan Sindh corruption case.

The high court resumed the hearing of a plea submitted for extending pre-arrest bail of Sharjeel Memon in Roshan Sindh corruption case. During the hearing, Memon’s lawyer said that his client is coordinating with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials in connection with the inquiry and the institution should be stopped from arresting him. He pleaded the court to approve his pre-arrest bail until the completion of the hearing.

Justice Aamer Farooq remarked that the anti-corruption watchdog has not submitted its response. To this, the NAB assistant lawyer apprised Justice Farooq that the prosecution team is currently present in the courtroom of IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah. He added that the prosecution team is ready to give arguments in the case.

Later, the high court extended the pre-arrest bail of Sharjeel Memon and adjourned the hearing till January 7.

NAB is holding an inquiry into complaints of massive corruption in Roshan Sindh project initiated by the provincial government for installation of solar streetlights across the province.

In the same case, a bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had extended interim bail of former chief minister of Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah on December 9 who is also accused in making financial irregularities in Roshan Sindh project.

Over in Lahore, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Javed Latif appeared before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigators in Lahore following an inquiry into assets beyond known sources of income.

A joint investigation team of the anti-corruption watchdog will interrogate Javed Latif, who has been summoned in an inquiry launched over his alleged misuse of powers and assets beyond income. NAB Lahore sources said that Javed Latif is summoned again due to providing an incomplete record in the inquiry.

It is pertinent to mention here that the PML-N Member of National Assembly (MNA) Latif had challenged the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) inquiry against him in Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday.

The PML-N leader adopted the stance that he is being subjected to political revenge for holding a seat in National Assembly (NA) and also requested the court to stop the anti-corruption watchdog from carrying out investigation against him.

Moreover, Mian Javed Latif further submitted plea seeking interim bail in assets beyond income case.