Bail petitions of Hamza disposed of Pak-Arab Housing Society’s owner granted post-arrest bail

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday disposed of three bail petitions of Punjab Opposition leader Hamza Shahbaz and directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to provide ten days to the petitioner, in case his arrest warrants are issued, to avail legal remedy, in line with a recent judgment by the Supreme Court.

As the hearing commenced, the bureau’s lawyer told the bench that no arrest warrants had been issued so far in any of the three inquiries pending against the petitioner. He argued that the bail petitions in the absence of any arrest warrants were infractuous. Hamza also appeared before a two-member bench along with his counsel Azam Nazir Tarar. Advocate Tarar pointed out that the Supreme Court recently ruled in Ayaz Khan Niazi’s case that the NAB, after issuance of arrest warrants, should give ten days to a person to enable him to approach relevant court for bail. The bench headed by Justice Tariq Abbasi observed that there was no need to keep the bail petitions pending with the court as the judgment of the apex court provided the petitioner an ample time to avail legal remedy in case of arrest warrants. The counsel said he would not press the petitions for further extension of bail if the NAB was ordered to comply with the SC judgment in the case of petitioner. At this, the bench disposed of the petitions as withdrawn and directed the NAB to act in accordance with the judgment of the apex court if arrest warrants were issued against the petitioner.

Hamza had filed bail petitions against possible arrests in three inquiries pending against him with the NAB including Punjab Saaf Pani Company, Ramzan Sugar Mills and assets beyond means.

The counsel had previously argued that the petitioner had been appearing before investigation teams of the NAB and provided them with all the required information and documents. He said the NAB summoned a person in one case but made arrest in other case as it did the same with Opposition leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, also father of the petitioner.

The counsel said there were serious apprehensions that the NAB might arrest the petition too at the time of his appearance in inquiry. The bench had allowed the bail to Hamza subject to furnishing of two surety bonds of Rs 10,00,000 each.

The bench granted post-arrest bail to Pak-Arab Housing Society’s owner Ammar Gulzar in a corruption reference of the NAB subject to two surety bonds of Rs1 million each. Gulzar, a former senator and also son of late senator Gulzar Ahmad, was accused of defrauding public at large by selling files of his society more than the available plots. The NAB alleged that Gulzar collected Rs10 billion from people who purchased files of Pak-Arab Society Phase-II, which was not approved by Lahore Development Authority.