MNA granted pre-arrest bail

LAHORE:The Lahore High Court on Thursday granted interim pre-arrest bail to PML-N MNA Barjees Tahir in an inquiry of assets beyond means initiated against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Tahir personally appeared before a division bench along with his counsel. The counsel told the bench that previously the court had disposed of a similar bail petition of the MNA in the light of a statement of the NAB that no warrant for the arrest of the petitioner was issued.

He said the NAB once again issued a call-up notice to the petitioner asking him to appear before its investigation team on Sept 10. He said there was an apprehension that the bureau would arrest the petitioner.

A prosecutor of the NAB told the bench that arrest of the petitioner was not required so far and he had been summoned for investigation. The petitioner’s counsel said there had been instances when the NAB made arrests in a surprise manner.

Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, who headed the bench, directed the prosecutor to come up with a clear response whether arrest of the petitioner was required or not. The bench granted bail to the petitioner and adjourned further hearing till Sept 27.

Tahir, also a former federal minister, said in his petition that the NAB had already closed the impugned inquiry against him in 2003. However, he said, the bureau again started issuing him call-up notices in 2019 in the same inquiry. He said the NAB unlawfully converted a complaint into an investigation against him and there were apprehensions of his arrest.