Plea against Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s arrest: LHC asks NAB to submit new response

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday resumed hearing a petition filed against the continued detention of Jang Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman (MSR), where it directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to submit new response regarding his bail.

MSR was arrested by the NAB earlier this month on accusations relating to a property purchased more than three decades ago. A two-member bench has been hearing the case pertaining to the arrest and extension in remand of the veteran journalist. In the previous hearing, the court had asked the NAB to submit clause-wise explanations to the questions raised by the court.

The NAB prosecutor submitted a response to the original petition in the court on Monday. During the hearing, Barrister Aitezaz Ahsan presented arguments, maintaining that the NAB summoned MSR on March 3, along with documents. “NAB then adjourned the proceedings until March 12,” he said, adding his client had asked the bureau to hand him over the questions.

Upon appearance on March 12, the arrest warrants of MSR were issued from Karachi while the investigation was being carried out in Lahore, said the lawyer.While referring to the extension in the remand, he said the accountability court did not mention the reasons behind the decision.

The court, subsequently, adjourned the case until Thursday, while asking the NAB to submit fresh response in the proceedings.The petition, filed by MSR’s wife Shahina Shakil, had stated that the MSR had been cooperating with officials and the arrest was a flagrant violation of the standard operating procedures of the accountability watchdog.

The petition had requested that the court declare the arrest an abuse of the NAB chairman’s authority, as the arrest was made while the case was still in the process of complaint verification.

According to a Jang Group spokesperson, the property was in fact bought from a private party 34 years ago and all evidence of this was given to the NAB and legal requirements fulfilled, such as duty and taxes.

Meanwhile, the NAB has allowed MSR to meet his ailing brother and Roznama Jang and The News Publisher and Printer, Chairman Jang Group and Editor-in-Chief of Weekly Akhbar-e-Jahan, Mir Javed Rahman, after news surfaced of him being critically ill. “MSR can go to Karachi for one day to visit his ailing brother, however, he will remain under NAB detention,” said the statement.

The NAB statement came after Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari requested the bureau to allow MSR to meet his brother on humanitarian grounds.

“Without seeking to, or even seeming to interfere in any way with the independence of NAB, as Minister for Human Rights I would request you to consider not opposing a 48-hour parole for Mir Shakil ur Rahman to allow him to see his critically ill brother, as his case for bail come up before the LHC,” she wrote.Javed Rahman is being treated at a private hospital in Karachi. According to the hospital report, he is suffering from lung cancer.