PHC restrains NAB from arresting FBR official

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday restrained the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from arresting an official of the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR).
The FBR Customs Wing chief Akhlaq Ahmad Khattak had challenged the notice of the NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the high court. The NAB had directed him to appear in the office of Director General NAB about an inquiry into his assets.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Irshad Qaiser stopped the arrest till next order of the court. The court also asked the petitioner to submit Rs1 million as guarantee for his interim bail.
During hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer Arshad Ali submitted that the NAB had started an inquiry into assets of the FBR’s Customs Wing chief since 2011.
He informed the bench that now the bureau had issued a notice to his client, directing him to appear before the Director General NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The lawyer submitted that the petitioner feared to be arrest by the NAB officials. He stated that in the past many officers were arrested when they appeared before the director general in the name of inquiry.
The lawyer stated that the petitioner joined the civil service in 1990 and his wife is also serving against a position in the government. He claimed the petitioner’s all assets were legal and thus the NAB notice would be declared as void.
The bench also issued notice to the NAB, directing the bureau to submit written reply about the questions raised in the petition before the next hearing.
The same bench also issued contempt of court notice to Secretary, Director General and Director Local Government Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, directing them to submit reply and explain as why the court’s order about promotion of the secretaries of union councils were ignored.
The bench issued directives in the writ petition filed by union councils’ secretaries including Mehmood, Shaheen Akbar, Muhammad Roidad and Sajid Muhammad.
The petitioners made secretary Local Government Jamaluddin, Director General Adil Saddiq and Director Tahira Yasmin as respondents in the case.