No hearing on bail plea of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman

LAHORE: Hearing on the bail petition of Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in a 34-year old property case could not be held on Thursday due to unavailability of a division bench of the Lahore High Court.

On the last hearing, a bench comprising Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem and Justice Farooq Haider had heard the bail petition and sought a reply from the NAB by May 28. Meanwhile, the bench dissolved due to the transfer of Justice Naeem to Rawalpindi. As per the new roster of sitting judges, a division bench comprising Justice Muhammad Tariq Abbasi and Justice Farooq Haider, formed to hear NAB-related cases, will start functioning at principal seat from June 1.

The NAB had arrested Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on March 12 when he made his second appearance before its investigation team. He was sent to jail on judicial remand on April 28 by an accountability court. The bureau alleged that Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman illegally obtained exemption of 54 plots each measuring one Kanal situated in Block-H, Johar Town.