Former CM Qaim Ali Shah’s bail extended in illegal land allotment case

The Sindh High Court on Wednesday extended the pre-arrest protective bail of former chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah in a National Accountability Bureau’s land allotments investigation till June 19.

He had moved the SHC to obtain pre-arrest bail following a NAB’s call-up notice for an investigation into the land allotment. The petitioner’s counsel, Barrister Zamir Ghumro, submitted that the impugned call-up notice cites a violation of the Sindh land grant policy of 2006 and the allotment of land at prices less than the prevalent market rates without attaching the land grant policy and mentioning the allotment price.

He stated that NAB failed to specify the petitioner’s involvement in the alleged offence without any positive proof; besides, the allotment in question had already been cancelled. The court inquired the NAB counsel as to why a progress report had not been filed. The NAB counsel sought further time to submit the report. The court extended the protective bail of the former CM directed the NAB counsel to conclude the investigation and submit a progress report.