PHC says NAB crossing limits: Confirms pre-arrest bail of university teacher

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) observed on Wednesday that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is crossing its limits by issuing call-up notices to citizens without genuine reasons causing mental torture and disgrace.

“How is NAB issuing call-up notices to persons who are not even accused in the cases? The NAB should refrain from giving mental torture to respectable citizens of the society and act under the law,” a two-member bench comprising Justice Ikramullah Khan and Justice Musarrat Hilali made these observations in a case of pre-arrest bail of Dr Zakirullah, an associate professor of the Archeology Department, University of Peshawar.

The bench confirmed the pre-arrest bail of Dr Zakirullah, who is working at the Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Museum at the University of Peshawar, in the NAB investigation related to the Archeology Department.

The court also stopped NAB from arresting him in the ongoing investigation in the case.

Ashfaq Daudzai, who appeared for the petitioner, contended that NAB had issued call-up notice to his client asking him to appear before an investigation team.

The lawyer said the petitioner feared that he might be arrested by the NAB. He argued that the petitioner had got nothing to do with the affairs of Peshawar Museum as he worked at the Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Museum at the University of Peshawar.

He argued that Peshawar Museum and the Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Museum were two separate entities as the former was under the supervision of the provincial government while the latter was with the University of Peshawar.

He argued that the NAB investigation team is linking him and the Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Museum to the Peshawar Museum due to the case against the director Archeology and Museums, Dr Abdul Samad.

The lawyer submitted that the NAB had filed a reference in the case regarding appointments in violation of rules, misuse of authority and missing antiques in

the accountability court against the officials of Directorate of Archeology and Museums, including Dr Abdul Samad.

He said that despite filing reference against the suspects in which the name of the petitioner was not included, the NAB officials continued to harass him by issuing call-up notices to him in the case.

On the other hand, the NAB prosecutor Azimdad submitted before the bench that the NAB did not want to arrest the petitioner, arguing that call-up notices to relevant persons were part of the investigation in the case.

The bench allowed the petition and confirmed the pre-arrest bail of Dr Zakirullah and stopped the NAB from arresting him in the case.