LHC to hear Sana bail plea

LAHORE:The Lahore High Court on Monday directed the registrar office to fix next week for the hearing of pre-arrest bail petition of PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah Khan in an inquiry of alleged assets beyond means by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem and Justice Farooq Haider issued the direction allowing an application by the NAB seeking early hearing of the petition of the opposition leader pending since March.

A two-judge bench had on 5 March granted interim pre-arrest bail to Khan in the inquiry subject to two surety bonds of Rs500,000 each. The NAB in its application alleged that Khan had been misusing his bail and trying to sabotage evidence against him. It requested the court to decide the bail petition of the suspect without delay.

The bench allowed the NAB application and directed the office to fix the bail petition for hearing on 16 November. Khan, also a sitting MNA and former law minister, pleaded through his counsel that the inquiry initiated by the NAB was in reaction to post-arrest bail granted to him in a fabricated case of drug. He said he appeared before the bureau whenever he was summoned and informed the investigators that all his assets had already been scrutinised and frozen by the Anti-Narcotics Force in the drug case.