Family objects to Iqbal Z Ahmed’s detention on ‘a technicality’

ISLAMABAD: Iqbal Z Ahmed and five other persons were detained from within the courtroom of the Accountability Court in Hyderabad on November 11 where they had gone to attend the hearing of a NAB case against them.

“All detainees had earlier been granted protective bail in the case by the honourable High Court of Sindh wherein it was prima facie observed that NAB had no case against them,” family sources of the leading businessman who contributed a lot towards the country’s energy sector told The News. “It is unfortunate that a leading businessman has been subjected to this treatment in a case in which NAB has no jurisdiction and ordered to be detained on a mere technicality. This does not augur well for the business community and the investment environment in the country,” they said.

“After the observations in the High Court judgment, applications were filed for the case to be dismissed under the NAB Amendment Acts. After a detailed hearing, the Accountability Court determined that it had no jurisdiction in the matter and returned the case to NAB,” the family maintained.

After the return of the case to NAB, they said, all persons applied for the return of the bail surety bonds since no case was pending against them and bail was not required anymore. The honourable High Court allowed the surety bonds to be withdrawn and bail was recalled.

According to the family, “After the honourable Supreme Court struck down some of the amendments in the NAB Ordinance, this false case was returned by NAB to the Accountability Court even though all the accused in this case are private persons and the Supreme Court judgment preserved the rights granted to private persons under the NAB Amendments; therefore NAB does not have any jurisdiction in the matter. “

“The Accountability Court ordered the arrest of all persons despite the fact that they were present in court to face the false allegations against them. The arrest was ordered despite the powers of the court to ask for new surety bonds to ensure the presence of the accused in court,”they said.

“All detained persons have moved bail applications before the Accountability Court, and it is expected that bail shall be granted since detention has been ordered on the basis of a mere technicality. It is expected that all accused will be acquitted in the false allegations levelled against them,”the family said.