NAB responsible for proving allegations: SC

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday dismissed the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) appeal against acquittal of Lahore Income Tax Additional Collector Muhammad Iqbal.

A three-member SC benchheaded by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and comprising Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed heard the case. During the course of proceedings, the NAB prosecutor said Muhammad Iqbal had bought eight illegal properties, which were his ‘benami' assets, which he later sold. The chief justice remarked that it was NAB’s responsibility to prove the allegation and asked the prosecutor as to why the Bureau wanted the Supreme Court to do its work. He observed that both the owner and the ‘benamidar' are denying ownership of these properties. NAB did not submit correct questionnaires under Section 342 of CrPC, he added. The chief justice remarked that the prosecution has failed to prove its allegations against the accused. If there is any other case against the accused, NAB should continue its investigations, he added.

It may be added that the accountability court had given 10-year jail sentence along with Rs10 million fine. The high court, however, acquitted the accused. The NAB challenged the high court verdict in the Supreme Court, which upheld the acquittal decision.