Counsel told to explain grounds for filing another pre-arrest bail petition

Sharjeel Memon’s plea

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday directed Sharjeel Memon’s counsel to satisfy the court over the maintainability of a second pre-arrest bail petition in a National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) inquiry regarding illegal allocation of forest land in Hyderabad.

The former federal information minister’s counsel was given till February 24 to file his comments. SHC’s division bench headed by Justice Syed Mohammad Farooq Shah questioned the maintainability of the petition when the court was already hearing a petition requesting an extension in the protective transitory bail.

Memon’s counsel had earlier sought an extension in the protective bail granted to him in NAB’s corruption reference arguing that his client could not surrender before the trial court due. He had alleged that doctors have advised Memon to avoid travelling apparently due to ill health.

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader had left for London after the law-enforcement agencies launched a crackdown on politicians and bureaucrats in 2013, over alleged corruption complaints.

He had submitted before the court that he was booked by the investigative agency in a false corruption reference, and that he was not issued any call up notice or any other information while he was out of the country.

For the call up notice issued by the NAB in the illegal adjustment and consolidation of thousands of acres of land in Malir, Memon maintained that he was issued the notice while he was out of the country.

The accountability court had already informed the court that the former information minister was purposely delaying the trial’s proceedings against him and others in another Rs5 billion corruption case.

The presiding officer of the accountability court had submitted a report before the court maintaining that 13 out of the 17 accused have appeared before the trial court except Memon, Anita Baloch and Altaf Hussain Memon; a fourth accused, Fazal Mehmood, was reported to have died. Anita was also out of the country.

He 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 being granted the bail.