PHC retracts arrest warrant of BRT contractor

PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court (PHC) has retracted the arrest warrant for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) contractor Aamir Latif and extended the stay order until January 23.

When a bench comprising Chief Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Khan and Justice Shakil Ahmed started hearing the case on Wednesday, lawyers Waseem Sajjad, Abdul Mannan Khan, Shumail Ahmed Butt, and Qazi Jawad advocate appeared for the applicants, while Deputy Prosecutor General Azim Dad and Additional Prosecutor General Muhammad Ali represented the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

As the hearing commenced, Waseem Sajjad advocate and other lawyers argued that NAB had been asked to submit comments in the case, which were not received. However, NAB lawyers stated that the comments had been submitted but were not present in the court file due to a system malfunction.

Waseem Sajjad argued that NAB cannot intervene in this case, and hence the inquiry should be declared null and void.However, Azim Dad and Muhammad Ali informed the court that the applicant, Masood Ahmed Shah, was not present in court, having obtained interim bail, and was not participating in the inquiry. Therefore, an interim non-arrest order cannot be issued for him.

On the other hand, Qazi Jawad advocate informed the court that Masood Ahmed Shah’s name had been included in the exit control list (ECL), and a separate case was underway with other lawyers.

NAB’s lawyers argued that under the new NAB law, the high court had been restrained from giving BBA and one accused Masood Shah did not appear in the court and hence his BBA should be recalled.

The court ruled that NAB must submit a reply, and further hearing will take place after the reply is received. The court scheduled the case hearing until January 23 and withdrew the arrest warrant for Chaudhry Aamir Latif.