PPP leader Sharjeel Memon briefly detained in Islamabad 

ISLAMABAD:  The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Sunday released Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Sharjeel Inam Memon a couple of hours after taking him into custody for interrogation in connection with a corruption reference.

The former Sindh Information Minister was detained by the NAB at the Islamabad airport as he returned to Pakistan ending his self-exile.  

The former Sindh Information Minsister was accompanied by Mukesh Chawla, Imdad Pitafi, Fayyaz Ali Butt and Nawab Taimur Talpur when he was taken into custody by NAB officials and moved to an undisclosed location.

Six  officials from NAB's Crime Wing head by a Deputy Director arrested the former minister at the runway where he put up resistance. 

"We respect this state, but what happened with us in Pakistan's capital is incomprehensible," said Imdad Pitafi, Minister for Works and Services, who accompanied Memon from Dubai. 

"He came to Pakistan to prove his innocence in courts, not to hide from law", he said, adding  that Sharjeel Memon was to appear before a court on Monday. He said Meomon has been facing references but he could not be arrested since court had granted him bail.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a corruption reference against Memon, other information department officials and advertising companies’ representatives for illegalities in the process of awarding contracts worth over Rs5 billion for official Sindh government awareness campaigns for the electronic media.

Nasir Hussain Shah, Sindh Transport Minister, said the PPP would approach higher courts if Sharjeel Memon was not arrested.

Sources say the minister was granted bail by the Islamabad High Court after he assured the court of his appearance on March 20 and the NAB released him after seeing the bail orders.