SHC issues notices on Sharjeel Memon’s plea for permission to travel abroad

The Sindh High Court on Friday issued notices to federal and provincial law officers on a petition filed by Pakistan Peoples Party leader and MPA Sharjeel Memon seeking permission to travel abroad for attending an exhibition as focal person of the Sindh government.

Memon has been facing two NAB references pertaining to Rs5.78 billion advertisement corruption and accumulation of Rs2.43 billion assets beyond known sources of income, but he is on bail in these cases. He has 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 standing the trial; however, he required to travel abroad to attend the exhibition being held in the UAE as focal person of the Sindh government. He submitted that the petitioner was earlier allowed to travel abroad on court permission, and requested the court to grant him permission to travel abroad once again.

The court issued notices to the federal and provincial law officers on the petition and called their comments on November 9. The SHC had earlier allowed Memon to travel abroad subject to permission granted by the trial court.

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 he 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.