NAB issued notice on Qaiser Butt’s plea for release

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on a petition of former MPA Qaiser Amin Butt seeking his release after he turned approver in Paragon Housing Society case against former railways minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq and his brother Khwaja Salman Rafiq.

Butt through his counsel contended that he became an approver in the case and the NAB also concluded its investigation. The counsel said the NAB chairman also pardoned the petitioner, however, the NAB was not willing to release him.

The counsel argued that the NAB under the law could not keep a suspect behind bars once its chairman pardoned him. He undertook before the court the petitioner, if released, will not escape or hide from the law. The counsel asked the court to issue release order of the petitioner as he was no more required to the NAB.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Tariq Abbasi issued notice on the petition and sought a reply from NAB Lahore. Meanwhile, former chief engineer of Punjab Land Development Company Arif Majeed Butt has filed a petition for removal of his name from the Exit Control List (ECL). Butt had turned approver in Ashiyana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme scam against Ahad Khan Cheema, former director general of the Lahore Development Authority.

The petitioner said he had been released on bail, however, he could not travel abroad since the government had placed his name on the no-fly list. Butt asked the court to order the ministry of interior to remove his name from the ECL as he wanted to visit abroad.