SHC bars NAB from adverse action against Ali Jehangir

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday continued interim stay order restraining the National Accountability Bureau from taking adverse action including arrest of Pakistan’s ambassador designate to the US, Ali J Siddiqui for corruption inquiry.

The court however dismissed the petitioner’s application against fresh call up notice about his assets and personal data form and directed him to appear before NAB for replying to the notice issued on April 11. The court made clear that the NAB would be at liberty for recalling the protection granted by the court if the petitioner does not appear for inquiry. The direction came on a petition filed by Ali J Siddiqui against NAB call up notice for inquiry against directors of investment firm Azgard Nine, Agritech. The petitioner's counsel Khalid Javed had filed miscellaneous application against the NAB's fresh call up notice issued on April 11. He submitted that the fresh call up notice was intrusive and beyond the scope of inquiry initiated against the petitioner. The Deputy Prosecutor General NAB Syed Amjad Ali Shah opposed the application on grounds that the petitioner did not appear for NAB inquiry on April 6 and NAB had no option but to issue fresh call up notice. He submitted that the petitioner by not submitting the reply to the questionnaire is avoiding to cooperate with the NAB inquiry which amounts to defiance of the court orders. The SHC’s division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro observed that the fresh call up notice issued on April 11 is seen to have been issued in continuation of the previous one when the petitioner did not appear before the NAB. The court dismissed the application and directed the petitioner to appear before NAB Lahore on April 17 and also as and when required by the NAB. The court adjourned the hearing till May 3 observing that the point of jurisdiction will be decided at the final hearing of the petition.