SHC grants protective bail to NICVD executive director, 15 others

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has granted interim pre-arrest protective bail to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) executive director and other officials working at different executive and administrative posts at the institute in a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) inquiry pertaining to illegal appointments at the NIVCD.

NICVD Executive Director Dr Nadeem Qamar, Dr Malik Nasarullah, Haider Awan, Azra Maqsood and other officials of the NIVCD who were working at different executive and administrative posts had filed petitions with the SHC for obtaining interim pre-arrest protective bail following call-up notices issued to them by the NAB.

The petitioners’ counsel, Abid Zuberi and Syed Amjad Ali Shah, submitted in the petitions that an inquiry had been initiated by NAB and in the course of which call-up notices were being issued to the health secretary, calling for certain information regarding appointments of as many as 30 employees working in the NICVD, including the petitioners.

They submitted that the anti-graft watchdog had conducted a raid at the HR department of the NICVD where the bureau officials had harassed the petitioners and others. They said that the petitioners intended to cooperate in the said inquiry but they needed protection as they were seriously apprehending backlash from NAB that could include their arrest out of mala fide intentions.

The high court, without touching the merit of the case, granted interim pre-arrest bail to the NICVD executive director and others, and issued notices to the NAB special prosecutor, deputy attorney general and others, and called their comments on November 23 for confirmation or otherwise.