Daily Times

An Accountability Court (AC) on Thursday sought comments from National Accountability Bureau (NAB) till November 3, on a plea seeking quashing of kidney hills reference against former deputy chairman Saleem Mandviwala. AC-I Judge Muhammad Bashir heard the reference filed by NAB against Senator Mandviwala and others. In his acquittal plea, Mandviwala stated that he was a member of senate and also a businessman. The reference was a politically fabricated, he claimed.

The petitioner said after a new NAB Ordinance this case didn’t fall now in jurisdiction of accountability court. The transaction, under which the case was prepared, was a matter related Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Securities Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

He prayed the court to shift the matter to the concerned institution. The court served notices to respondents and sought comments till November 3.

The reference had alleged Mandviwala to assist the accused Ijaz Haroon in selling of kidney hills plots to Omni Group’s Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majeed.

Meanwhile, an accountability court (AC) Thursday sought comments from National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on a petition of a co-accused praying to quash the reference pertaining to illegal award of an advertising campaign contract. Former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani was also named in the above reference. He was allegedly involved in misusing of powers to benefit a private firm. At the outset of hearing, former information secretary Farooq Awan filed a petition and prayed the court to quash the reference after new ordinance had been promulgated. The matter did not fall under the jurisdiction of accountability court, he added. The court served notices to NAB and sought comments till November 10.