Sharjeel Memon can travel abroad with trial court’s permission: SHC

The Sindh High Court on Friday allowed Pakistan Peoples Party MPA and former provincial information minister Sharjeel Memon to travel abroad only for one month with the permission of the trial court where two corruption references are pending against him.

Memon has been facing two NAB references pertaining to Rs.5.78 billion advertisement corruption and accumulation of Rs2.43 billion assets beyond known sources of income, but he is on bail in these cases. He had approached the high court for permission to travel aboard from time to time.

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that his client was on bail in NAB cases and facing the trial; however, he required to travel abroad to look after his children who were studying in the USA and UK. He submitted that the petitioner’s name was placed on the exit control list on orders of the court, and requested the court to grant him permission to travel abroad as and when required to look after his children.

The counsel submitted that applicant’s daughter had gained admission to Boston University and she was travelling there for the first time.

The special prosecutor of the National Accountability Bureau and a federal law officer said that two references were pending against the petitioner, and in terms of an order of the court his name had been placed the on exit control list. They submitted that the daughter of the petitioner was not minor, but any order may be passed in accordance with the law which may be made subject to permission granted by the trial courts where the petitioner was

required to appear.

A division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro, after hearing the arguments of the counsel, allowed the applicant to travel abroad subject to permission granted by the trial court. The court made it clear that this order shall come into effect in any case for two months from today, and the applicant shall furnish a solvent surety of Rs1 million before the Nazir of the court. It also directed the PPP leader to return within one month from the date he flew abroad.

He directed the special prosecutor of NAB to file comments on the petition. The prosecutor waived notice and sought time to file comments. The court directed NAB to file comments by August 10.

The SHC had earlier modified its earlier order with regard to the placement of Memon’s wife and mother’s names on the ECL, and directed the interior secretary to remove their names from the list.

NAB had filed a reference alleging that Memon had accumulated wealth and assets worth Rs2.43 billion beyond his known sources of income and purchased properties in benamie persons and relatives’ names. It had further alleged that Memon had transferred Rs1.8 billion out of the country through illegal modes of Hawala and Hundi through a money exchange company from 2012 to 2016.