NAB arrests ex-MPA after pre-arrest bail rejected

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday dismissed pre-arrest bail petition of PML-N’s former MPA and former head of Lahore Parking Company (LPC) Hafiz Mian Numan in LPC scam and NAB authorities arrested him soon after rejection of his bail petition.

Hafiz Numan argued through his counsel that he was elected as MPA in 2008 and was offered an honorary position of Lahore Parking Company’s chairman. He said he never withdrew a single rupee from the company’s funds since he became its chairman. He said he just attended its board’s meetings on different occasions. He pointed out that he left the office of the company on Dec 30, 2016.

He said now the NAB authorities had initiated an unlawful inquiry about the parking contracts given by the company. He pointed that the contracts given by the company were transparent and lawful. However, the counsel said that they were ready to face the lawful proceedings but pleaded the court to allow him pre-arrest bail as the NAB authorities were likely to arrest him on the false allegations.

NAB prosecutor told the court that the national exchequer had to face loss of millions of rupees due to financial irregularities in the company. He pointed out that final challan against the accused had been submitted in the trial court and the court had commenced the trail. After hearing the arguments of both sides, the division bench headed by Justice Tariq Abbasi dismissed pre-arrest bail petition of Hafiz Numan.

ECL: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday directed interior minister to exclude the name of former PML-N MPA Naeem Safdar from the Exit Control List (ECL) and restore his passport as well. Safdar through his counsel approached the LHC through a writ petition pleading that he and other persons were involved in a contempt of court case for taking out an anti-judiciary rally in Kasur. A full bench had also directed interior minister to place his name on ECL and suspend his passport.

He pointed out that his co-accused persons were punished under contempt of court law while he was acquitted of the charges. After his acquittal, he approached the interior ministry for exclusion of his name from ECL but of no avail. He argued that placing the name of anyone on ECL without legal justification is the violation of article 15 (freedom of movement) of the Constitution. After hearing arguments, Justice Masood Jahangir disposed of the petition and directed interior minister to exclude the petitioner’s name from the list besides restoration of his passport.

President of Kasur District Bar Association Mirza Naseem and others had filed the petitions before Lahore High Court. They had alleged that former MNA Waseem Akhtar and former MPA Naeem Safdar, former municipal chairman Ayaz Khan, former vice-chairman Ahmad Latif, Nasir Khan and Jamil Khan took out a protest rally which, according to the petitioner, was a planned conspiracy against the institution of judiciary.