Daily Times

Senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah on Thursday challenged the Sindh High Court’s (SHC) decision in assets beyond sources of income case in the Supreme Court (SC).

Quoting sources, the channel reported that Khurshid, in the petition, has prayed to the apex court to declare the SHC verdict, dated July 27, 2021, as null and void and order his release on bail.

PPP leader has argued in the petition that the high court did not properly study the facts while rejecting his bail application. The Sindh High Court had on July 27, 2021 once again rejected the bail application of PPP leader Khurshid Shah. The Sindh High Court ordered the trial court to dispose of his case immediately.

The special bench of the SHC heard Khurshid Shah’s bail plea once again on the order of the Supreme Court. The Sindh High Court, Sukkur bench, had already rejected Mr Shah’s bail application.

Last month, Khurshid Shah’s counsel Makhdoom Ali Khan had told the Supreme Court that NAB found nothing against his petitioner. He was of the view that NAB should get permission from the court before launching a probe against his client.

The SC judge, Justice Tariq said that bails in NAB cases could only be granted if the point of hardship was raised in the high court as it could not be raised in the Supreme Court.

The judge asked counsel Makhdoom whether he had raised hardship point in the high court.

The counsel said the point of hardship was not raised in the high court as the arrest period of Mr Shah was less than two years at the time of their case hearing in the high court. He said the two years period of Mr Shah in jail would be completed in September this year.

The counsel said that NAB failed to prove any charge of abuse of power against Mr Shah.

The judge remarked that the trial court could itself frame. However, the apex court referred Mr Shah’s bail case back to the Sindh High Court.