The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday issued a notice to the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) special prosecutor to file comments on former information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon’s bail extension plea in a corruption reference.
Filing application on behalf of Memon, his counsel submitted that his client was granted transitory bail till January 31 so he could appear before an accountability court. However, owing to ill health doctors advised him to avoid travelling, for which he sought an extension till February 26.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader, living in self-exile in London ever since the start of the Karachi operation, maintained that he was booked by NAB in a false corruption reference. His counsel further observed that he was booked in the case while he was abroad without being issued a call up notice or any other information.
He said NAB had also issued call up notice to the petitioner pertaining to illegal adjustment and consolidation of thousands of acres of land in Malir despite the petitioner being out of country. SHC’s division bench headed by Justice Syed Mohammad Farooq Shah issued a notice to the special prosecutor NAB and calling in their comments on February 17.
The accountability court had already informed the court that the former information minister was causing a delay in trial proceedings against him and others pertaining to a Rs5 billion advertisement corruption case.
Presiding officer of the accountability court had sent a report to the court submitting that 13 out of the 17 accused have appeared before the trial court except Memon, Anita Baloch and Altaf Hussain Memon.
He submitted that one suspect, Fazal Mehmood, had died while Memon and Anita were out of country. Proceedings under the criminal procedure code against the two have been initiated, the report maintained.
The accountability court’s official submitted that proclamation proceedings were suspended by the trial court on request of the petitioner’s counsel who submitted that he was on transitory bail and wanted to join the proceedings, however, he did not turn up before the court despite protective bail by the court.
The presiding officer further submitted that Sharjeel Memon was causing a delay in framing of charge against the accused as he was not showing up at the trial proceedings, despite the grant of bail, whereas copies of witnesses’ statement have also been sent to other accused.
NAB had filed a corruption reference against the former information minister, information department officials and advertising companies’ representatives for committing corruption worth Rs5 billion to award advertisement contracts of the provincial government’s awareness campaigns in electronic media.
Safoora convict’s plea
The Sindh High Court on Thursday directed the additional attorney general to file comments on a petition filed by men convicted in the Safoora bus carnage case seeking certified copies of the judgment handed down against them by military courts. The convicts have also requested a meeting with their lawyer and family members.
The petitioner Shahnaz Bano submitted that her son Abdul Salam, a mechanical engineer, was picked up law enforcers from Faisalabad and his arrest was later declared in connection with the Safoora attack and other terrorism cases. She submitted that the family came to know that Salam was sentenced to death by a military court in connection with the Safoora attack case.
However, she said, her son was not shifted to the central jail so that family members could meet him. She submitted that no judgment of the military court was provided to the family members so they may file an appeal before the competent authority. The court was requested to direct the authorities concerned to provide certified copies of the judgment and allow a meeting with the detainee.
The counsel representing the federal government sought adjournment as the deputy attorney general was engaged before another bench. Adjourning the matter, the court directed the federal law officer to file comments at the next hearing.
PM’s advisers
The SHC has directed the petitioner who sought injunction against delegation of ministerial powers and authority to advisers and special assistants of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to argue over the maintainability of the petition on point of jurisdiction of the high court.
The petitioner, Moulvi Iqbal Haider, has submitted in a petition that the cabinet division had appointed four advisers and nine special assistants to the prime minister, delegating to them the executive powers and authority of federal ministers and state ministers without support of any provision of the constitution.
