SHC seeks NAB’s comments on plea of Durrani’s son

The Sindh High Court has directed the special prosecutor of the National Accountability Bureau to file comments on an application filed by a son of the Sindh Assembly speaker seeking permission to travel abroad.

Petitioner Agha Shahbaz Khan Durrani, who is one of nominated accused in a corruption reference against Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani and others, submitted in the petition that his bail application was pending in the SHC and he wanted one-time permission to travel abroad to look after his wife abroad.

The ‘spetitioner counsel submitted that the petitioner intended to travel abroad one time and would return by August 30, and in meantime he was ready to furnish a surety bond to the satisfaction of the court.

He requested the court to allow the petitioner to travel aboard. The special prosecutor of NAB sought time to file comments on the application.

The court, granting time, directed the NAB prosecutor to obtain instructions from the relevant authorities by July 13.

Durrani, his family members and others were booked by NAB in the reference pertaining to charges of the accumulation of wealth beyond known sources of income.

NAB alleged that the speaker of the provincial legislature had accumulated assets, property and wealth worth Rs1,610,669,528 after the deduction of declared income through family members and benamidars and committed offence of corruption under the NAB law.

Ex-IG gets bail

The Sindh High Court granted interim protective bail to a former inspector general of police in a fresh inquiry pertaining to assets purchased.

Former IGO Ghulam Haider Jamali moved the court to obtain interim protective bail in a NAB inquiry. His counsel submitted that Jamali was issued with a call-up notice by NAB in respect of an inquiry against him and others on various allegations, including assets purchased in his name, and that he had submitted his reply to the NAB authorities.

Jamali said he was not contacted by the NAB authorities after he submission of the replies; however, he came to know through media that a reference had been filed against him in respect of the same inquiry. He submitted that NAB had malafidely and without issuing any further call-up notice to him, was conducting an investigation and as such he apprehended his arrest and needed protection in this regard.

The court without touching the merit of the case granted interim protective bail to him and issued a notice to the federal law officer and the special prosecutor of NAB for their comments.