| LAHORE: An accountability court on Thursday returned a reference against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and others regarding illegal allotment of plots to Jang group editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rehman to the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for placing it before a court of competent jurisdiction following new amendments to the law.
Judge Rao Abdul Jabbar passed the order allowing an application filed by Yousaf Abbas, a nephew of Sharif, and others saying the accountability court lacked jurisdiction to proceed with the case further as per the latest amendment in section 5 of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999.
The judge returned the reference to the NAB chairman for placing it before a court of competent jurisdiction without any delay.
The applicants through their counsel contended that the NAB, after the new amendments, could not prosecute an alleged offence involving money less than Rs500 million.
They said the amount of the alleged offence in the reference in question was Rs143m, which did not fall in the jurisdiction of the NAB.
They submitted that the trial court had already acquitted Rehman and two other accused persons including former officers of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) in the reference of 34-year-old illegal land allotment.
The applicants said the court declared Sharif a proclaimed offender and also ordered auction of his properties. They pleaded that the order of the court was not sustainable after the new amendments to the law.
They asked the court to withdraw its order and return the reference to the NAB chairman for further action.
The applicants had also challenged the auction of the properties supposedly owned by Sharif.
They claimed ownership of the assets ordered to be auctioned by the court. They said the assets had been transferred to them being lawful legal heirs of the owners.
The NAB had alleged that Rehman illegally obtained exemption of 54 plots each measuring one-kanal situated in Block-H, Johar Town.
It said the allotment of the land had been in connivance with then chief minister Nawaz Sharif against the exemption policy and the laws for monetary gains. It alleged the accused caused a loss of Rs143m to national exchequer through allotment of the land in violation of the exemption policy.
Buzdar gets bail: An accountability court on Thursday granted interim pre-arrest bail to former chief minister Sardar Usman Buzdar in an inquiry of illegal assets and misuse of authority initiated against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Buzdar appeared before the court along with his counsel, Barrister Momin Malik.
The counsel argued that the NAB with a mala fide intention and in connivance with the incumbent federal government had been politically victimising the petitioner.
He said all the allegations against the petitioner were baseless.
He said the NAB issued a call-up notice to the petitioner and also directed the police to ensure his appearance before the investigation team on Feb 16.
He asked the court to set aside the impugned notice and the inquiry for being illegal.
After going through the case record, Presiding Judge Sajjad Ahmad granted interim pre-arrest bail to Buzdar subject to furnishing two surety bonds of Rs100,000 each.
The judge also directed the former chief minister to join the investigation before the NAB.
NAB Special Prosecutor Hafiz Asadullah Awan received a notice by the court for submission of a reply to the petition by Feb 27.
Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2023 |
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