An accountability court has reserved verdict on Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader Faryal Talpur’s petition seeking restoration of her bank accounts.
The verdict will be announced on March 20. During the hearing, the plaintiff’s lawyer Farooq H. Naek stated that freezing bank accounts of her client, before the approval of inquiry is against the law.
Opposing the plea, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor said that transactions of billions of rupees were conducted from the bank accounts of the accused. Faryal’s plea is not on merit, he continued. “The bank accounts were freeze as per the law.” The claimant’s counsel requested the court to unfreeze bank accounts of Faryal Talpur, as they are not benami and declared. Subsequently, the court has reserved the decision and adjourned the hearing till March 20. On December 17, last year, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had approved the interim bail of Faryal Talpur in fake bank accounts case. A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC), Justice Athar Minallah, had approved interim bail to Faryal Talpur while announcing its verdict. The petitioner was directed to submit Rs10 million surety bond by the IHC.
Separately, the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday deferred hearing on the bail pleas of Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Salman Rafique for a week.
At the outset of the hearing NAB’s lawyer sought more time to file additional documents in the case.
Justice Maqbool remarked what documents you want to submit in the court? though the notice was served in last hearing to file reply in Tuesday’s hearing.
“Want to submit detailed report of the so far investigation made in the paragon scandal case”, the NAB’s lawyer replied. NAB’s counsel replying to a query of Justice Mazhar Alam Mian Khel said that the NAB has filed reference against Khawaja brothers and indicted both of them in the Paragon Housing Scheme scandal.
The court while ordering to produce investigation report and charge-sheet in the court adjourned the hearing for a week.
The SC also directed NAB counsel to provide copies of the report and charge-sheets to both of the accused three days before the scheduled hearing of the pleas. Khawaja Saad Rafique, his brother Salman Rafique, Nadeem Zia, Umar Zia, and Farhan Ali were named accused in accountability reference comprising of 17 volumes. Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court on Tuesday directed the government to finalize names of judges for appointment at Karachi’s Accountability Courts within one week.
A bench of the Sindh high court headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh heard the case regarding vacant posts of judges in Karachi’s Accountability Courts.
The chief justice during the case proceedings asked the Federal Secretary of Law, who was summoned in the hearing, if federal secretary law could appoint a judge? “How could you appoint a judge,” the bench asked the secretary. “Under which law you have given recommendations and what is your interest in these matters,” the chief justice asked the law secretary. “You are a former judge but still unaware of the law,” the chief justice exclaimed.
“Here 350 references are in pending in accountability court,” the chief justice further said. “If you won’t appoint judges, we will start giving bails to the accused,” the chief justice warned the top official of the federal law department. The chief justice directed the secretary to finalize names of judges’ for appointment within a week and inform the court.
The Sindh high court (SHC) adjourned further hearing of the case for one week.
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, recently heard a suo moto case pertaining to delay in the proceedings of accountability courts.
During the course of proceedings, the court (SHC) had directed the government to fill the vacant post in Islamabad’s Accountability Court in one week while two vacant posts in Karachi’s Accountability Courts within two weeks. The court also directed the government to start the consultation process about two posts of Peshawar’s Accountability Courts which would be vacant in June. The Deputy Attorney General said that the summary of the NAB courts in Quetta and Lahore would be forwarded to the President on Thursday.
The Chief Justice asked how many cases were pending in the accountability courts?
The NAB prosecutor replied that there were a total of 1226 cases being heard in accountability courts across the country.
On the other hand, the Director General National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Karachi has approved a plea bargain amounting to Rs 20,895,000. A NAB press release said that in this regard a Ref.No.12/2016 had already been filed against the 9 accused officers and contractors of TMA Talhar, and a nominated accused person namely Imran Ali Talpur, (private person) under judicial custody in Accountability Court Hyderabad for their alleged involvement in embezzlement of Rs.99.8 million in government development funds.
