KARACHI, Sept 3: Former MNA and Chairman Public Accounts Committee, Hakim Ali Zardari, was granted bail against a solvent surety of Rs20 million in an accountability reference here on Tuesday by a division bench of the Sindh High Court comprising Justice Mohammed Roshan Essani and Justice Mohammed Mujeebullah Siddiqui.
The bench, on Aug 28, reserved its order while hearing a miscellaneous application filed by the accused/appellant through his counsel, Barrister Azizullah K. Shaikh.
The bench, announcing the order today, also directed the state not to create third party interest in the property alleged to be owned by the accused in France. Referring to another prayer made by the applicant/accused regarding the returning of his expired passport, the court directed the applicant/accused to move the trial court.
The applicant sought bail on medical grounds. Barrister Azizullah K. Shaikh, in his arguments, submitted that the applicant is an old man of 76 years of age and is suffering from a number of ailments. The counsel for the applicant relied on a medical report by a special medical board which examined the applicant on orders of a bench of the SHC, according to which the applicant/accused was suffering from osteoporosis and arthritis, and has been under constant medical care.
He is spending Rs80,000 per month on his treatment, out of which Rs50,000 were being spent on police officials posted outside his house, as the same has been declared sub-jail by the authorities, while the remaining Rs30,000 goes to doctors and nurses as a special fee.
According to the reference, the accused/applicant siphoned money from Pakistan and purchased a palatial flat in a posh locality of an urban centre in France. He suppressed the information regarding the ownership of the property while filing nomination papers for contesting a national assembly seat, and hence was guilty of filing a wrong declaration, mandatory for candidates contesting in general elections.
contempt plea: A contempt of court application filed by an applicant/accused Allah Dino Dahri — a former executive engineer in the communication and works department — was referred to the chief justice of Sindh High Court on Tuesday following a split opinion by a division bench comprising Justice Mohammed Roshan Essani and Justice Mujeebullah Siddiqui.
The contempt application was moved by Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, counsel for the accused as the applicant/accused was shifted from Munawwar Ali Mughal (private) Hospital to the Civil Hospital, Karachi. Earlier, a bench of the SHC ordered that the applicant/accused be admitted to the private hospital.
When the contempt application came up for hearing, the counsel for the applicant submitted that the shifting of the accused was in violation of the court’s orders. He requested the court to issue contempt of court notices to respondents including the home secretary Sindh, inspector-general prisons Sindh and the section officer (SO) of the home department who ordered the shifting of the applicant/accused.
The bench was divided on the issue. Senior member of the bench, Mohammed Roshan Essani in his order said that “notice be issued to the contemnors as well as advocate general Sindh.”
Justice Mujeebullah Siddiqui, another member of the bench in his order said that “due to the behaviour and attitude of Abdul Hafeez Pirzada advocate, I would not like to proceed with this matter or pass any order. The matter be referred to the chief justice with the request to transfer the case to any other bench.”
Dahri was accused of accumulating wealth, including houses, bungalows, agricultural land and bank accounts in the name of his family members including his daughter and son-in-law (co-accused/absconding accused in the case), worth millions of rupees.—APP
