LAHORE, March 10: An accountability court on Monday dismissed a NAB’s application, requesting court to withdraw exemption granted to PML-N acting president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi from personal appearance in a corruption reference filed against him.

The court had dispensed with the appearance of Hashmi, after he returned to the National Assembly in the October last, due to his official engagements in Islamabad.

NAB contended that court could not grant exemption from personal appearance to one accused, saying more than one accused arraigned in a case could be granted such exemption.

NAB counsel Asad Manzoor Butt argued that the accused had not been exempted for an indefinite period, and his personal appearance in court at this stage of trial was a must.

Defence counsel Manzoor Malik contended that once the exemption had been granted to the accused, it could not be revoked by the trial court. NAB’s section 17 authorised the court to exempt from personal appearance an accused with reasons to be recorded, and the prosecution could not oppose such exemption once granted, the counsel said.

He also argued that NAB could not challenge the exemption in the trial court, which could not review its orders. However, he should move the appellate court for this purpose, he added.

The court dismissed NAB’s plea, observing that it could not go beyond its jurisdiction in revoking its own orders regarding the accused’s exemption from personal appearance. It also observed that the accused was being represented through a pleader and his conduct, following the grant of exemption from personal appearance, did not warrant the withdrawal of this privilege. The proceedings were adjourned for March 24.

Makhdoom Javed Hashmi has been accused of illegally acquiring movable and immovable assets worth Rs38 million, abusing his official position from 1991 to 1999.

His assets include 175-acre agriculture land at Kot Addu worth Rs400,000, out of which 43 acres and 6-kanal was registered on his name while the rest was registered on the name of his brothers Muhammad Nasir Shah and Mukhtar Shah and nephew Zahid Ahmad Shah. He also purchased a bungalow on 9 kanals at Qasim Road, Multan, worth Rs2.2 million on his wife’s name in November 1991, a bungalow in Islamabad’s sector F worth Rs1.2 million in 1991 on his name and a dera with three residential units in Multan’s Ghariyala village. These units were constructed from 1992 to 1998 at a cost of Rs3.4 million.

His shares include 35 percent share worth Rs200,000 in Al-Makhdoom Cotton Factory in Multan’s Makhdoom Rashid village on his two daughters’ name, 20 per cent share worth Rs100,000 in Zahid Dal Factory in Multan’s Dorrana Lungna village on his daughter’s name, Rs300,000 share in Adage Advertising and 10-marla plot worth Rs173,000 in Gulshan-i-Wahid in Multan on his daughter’s name. Besides, he has also been accused of purchasing a 10-marla plot in Multan’s Doranna Lungna village worth Rs106,000, prize bonds worth Rs2 million on his wife’s name, one-third share in Mehfil Cinema on the Husain Agahi Road in Multan worth Rs2.9 million on his two daughters’ name and three Pajeros worth Rs3.5 million on his own name.

Mr Hashmi has also been accused of living beyond his means, as he failed to account for the assets during investigation.