08 March 2005	Tuesday	26 Muharram 1426

ISLAMABAD, March 7: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will not arrest Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, because following dismissal of his bail petition by the Supreme Court , it is the prerogative of the accountability court concerned to take a decision on the matter, the NAB's prosecutor general Irfan Qadir told Dawn on Sunday.

"The NAB has completed its investigations and the trial was almost over; therefore the bureau has no need to take Mr Hayat into custody," he said. He said that the minister had started retiring the defaulted bank loan to the State Bank of Pakistan under a 'reconciliation deal'.

Mr Qadir said the accountability court would now see the impact of the reconciliation deal. He said under the recently amended section 25-A of the National Accountability Ordinance, reconciliation deals could be reached with defaulters.

The NAB's prosecutor general said people paying back loans under 'reconciliation deals' could hold public offices and they were not regarded as 'convicts'.