Daily Times

SUKKUR: The accountability court of Sukkur on Monday deferred the indictment of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Syed Khursheed Shah in the assets beyond means case against him.

During the hearing, the counsel for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) requested the accountability judge Farid Anwar Qazi to defer the indictment as more evidence has been gathered against the former National Assembly opposition leader and other suspects including his two wives and children.

Accepting the request, the court adjourned the hearing till Sept 8.

Speaking to reporters outside court, Shah said that the anti-graft agency has failed to register reference against him despite the passage of 12 months and vowed to fight corruption charges levelled against him.

The agency had arrested the PPP leader in September last year in a case regarding his alleged assets beyond means. Shah, however, has distanced himself from the properties which the bureau attributed to him, saying that these properties belonged to someone else and he had nothing to do with them.

Multiple corruption cases against Shah are under investigation with NAB. In 2012, an accountability court had directed NAB to file a reference against him on a complaint pertaining to the alleged accumulation of illegitimate assets. The following year, NAB had reopened two corruption cases against Shah under the directives of the Lahore High Court (LHC).

In July last, NAB Chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal had approved nine inquiries against different personalities, including Shah.