May 7, 2003	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 4, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, May 6: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to Shamim Alim, widow of a former Dawn staffer Alimuddin Pathan. She was arrested by a National Accountability Bureau raiding party in the early hours of April 28.

Chief Justice Shaikh Riaz Ahmad had taken cognizance of the matter under his suo motu jurisdiction and directed NAB to submit a report.

When the case was taken up on Tuesday, Prosecutor-General Accountability Navid Rasul Mirza appeared and regretted that the incident had taken place. “I express my regrets and undertake that in future no such action will take place,” he assured the court.

The Chief Justice observed that the matter was of serious nature and said utmost care must be taken in handling such cases.

On court’s query, it was informed that Shamim Alim was in jail. Advocate Akram Shaikh and Makhdoom Ziaul Haq asked the court to release her on bail. The prosecutor-general said NAB had no objection to grant of bail.

The court ordered the release of Shamim Alim on the production of a Rs5,000 personal surety bond.

Shamim Alim was taken into custody at 2.35am on Monday. Led by an army major, about a dozen personnel of NAB had raided her house and arrested her on the basis of a warrant signed by National Accountability Bureau chief Lt-Gen Muneer Hafiz.