SHC seeks comments on ex-MPA’s plea against NAB probe

Ghulam Qadir Palijo of PPP sayshe is facing inquiry despite

submission of all his details to ECP

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the National Accountability Bureau to submit a report on an inquiry against a former MPA of the Pakistan Peoples Party for allegedly accumulating wealth and assets beyond his known source of income as well as for occupying government land.

The directive came at a hearing of a petition filed by Thatta district council Chairman Ghulam Qadir Palijo with regard to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) inquiry against him.

Palijo, who is former PPP MPA from Thatta, submitted in the petition that NAB’s board approved the initiation of the inquiry.

He said he was a former MPA and submitted all his details to the election commission, but still the inquiry was initiated against him with a mala fide intention. 

Palijo’s counsel, Munir A Malik, said NAB issued call-up notices to his client and apprehended him on the pretext of an inquiry.

The NAB counsel submitted that the bureau had initiated the probe against the PPP leader for accumulating ill-gotten wealth and assets and occupying government land. He sought time to submit a report with regard to the fate of the inquiry.

Bail dismissed 

The Sindh High Court disposed of a bail application of Khan Muhammad Chachar, a close friend of Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, in illegal weapons case and directed the trial court to decide the case within one month.  

The court was hearing the petition filed by Chachar, who has approached the high court for bail after arrest. 

He said that he was kept under preventive detention for 90 days by the Rangers before he was handed over to police over his alleged involvement in an illegal weapons case. 

The Defence police had registered the case against Chachar for allegedly hiding a large quantity of arms and ammunition in the Gizri graveyard.

The applicant’s lawyer submitted that the allegations against his client were baseless as the grave where his client was alleged to have hidden weapons was too small to contain such a huge quantity of arms and ammunition. He added that rocket launchers and mortar shells could not possibly be kept in such a small grave.

On the other hand, the Rangers’ lawyer contended that the accused had willfully hidden the weapons which were to be used in hostile activities. 

While opposing the applicant’s bail plea, he reminded the SHC that two prosecution witnesses had already deposed against the accused.    The ATC has already denied Chachar bail.