LAHORE: An accountability court on Friday gave 12-day physical remand of Jang and Geo Media Group’s Editor-in-Chief, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in relation to a 34-year-old property case.
Editor-in-chief of Jang Group Mir Shakilur Rehman was arrested in Lahore by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday in a case pertaining to the purchase of a 54-kanal piece of land, said bureau spokesperson Nawazish Ali.
Rahman appeared before NAB for the second time on Thursday to answer the bureau’s questions about the land in question. He was subsequently arrested after failing to satisfy officials with his answer.
According to NAB, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had illegally leased the land to Rehman in 1986. NAB will produce Rehman in front of an accountability court on Friday for his physical remand.
According to the notice issued on February 28, Rahman had been called to appear before NAB on March 5 to record his statement regarding the land allotted to him in 1986 in Block H, Johar Town Phase 2 “by then chief minister Punjab Mian Nawaz Sharif in violation of the relevant laws and rules”.
According to an official statement issued by the Jang Group, the property “was bought from a private party 34 years ago and all evidence of this was given to NAB”. The statement maintained that Thursday’s appearance was for the verification of the complaint, yet Rahman was arrested. It also accused the anti-graft watchdog of harbouring a vendetta against the publication.
However, the NAB has outrightly rejected the allegations levelled by the Jang Group, saying that NAB strongly believes in performing its duties as per law and constitution of Pakistan.
In a statement, an anti-graft watchdog spokesman termed the allegations concocted, fabricated and baseless, adding that NAB adheres to the policy of considering only cases sans caring about the status of the accused. He said that NAB vehemently believes in freedom of media and will continue its national duties of taking action against the corrupt without caring about any propaganda, pressure, browbeating and threatening.
The statement said Mir Shakilur Rahman will be presented before an accountability court in Lahore on Friday for remand, adding that NAB will plead its case in the court as per law.
The NAB also asked media to avoid speculations about the watchdog or its cases and get its version from spokesman before broadcasting/publishing any news about it in the light of judgement of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in Arshad Sharif case.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz have expressed concerns over the arrest of Mir Shakilur Rehman.
