04 January 2004	Sunday	11 Ziqa'ad 1424

KARACHI, Jan 3: Judge Parkash Lal Ambvani of the Accountability Court on Saturday reserved order on a legal point whether an accountability court can proceed in a reference without framing the question of fulfilling the requirement of Section 342 of CrPC.

Earlier, Abdul Hafeez Lakho, counsel for Benazir Bhutto, the main accused in an accountability reference pertaining to alleged illegal appointments and postings and transfers abroad in PIA, submitted his arguments on the legal point besides NAB special public prosecutor Nasir H Jaffery.

Barrister Azizullah K. Shaikh, represented accused Naheed Khan, political secretary to former Premier Benazir Bhutto and Ghulam Qasir Jamote, former director, administration of PIAC.

The other accused include AVM (Retd) Farooq Umar and Siraj Shamsuddin, former joint secretary to prime minister who is absconding in the matter while former principal secretary Ahmed Sadiq turned an approver in the case.

In another accountability case, Ms Qaiser Iqbal, judge ACC-I, granted time to NAB for filing a final charge-sheet against accused Izhar Hussain Siddiqui, former In charge of Kutchery Post Office Special Saving Department.

The accused allegedly swindled Rs 60 million deposited by the account-holders, comprising mostly local lawyers.

The court, allowing a request by prosecution, extended time for submission of final charge-sheet up to Jan 17.-APP