May 11, 2006	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 12, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, May 10: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued bailable warrants against former federal minister Anwar Saifullah Khan for his absence during hearings on an appeal in an accountability case.

The warrants, requiring a surety bond of Rs50,000 by or on behalf of Mr Saifullah, will be executed by the district police officer of Lakki Marwat.

A three-judge bench decided to issue the warrants when it was informed that Anwar Saifullah had not been appearing before the apex court to defend himself in a corruption case.

An NAB court had held the former PPP minister for petroleum and natural resources guilty of recruiting over 145 people in the oil and gas sector in disregard of merit and sentenced him to one-year imprisonment with Rs5 million fine. The Peshawar High Court, however, set aside the conviction and the NAB filed an appeal against the PHC verdict.

The appeal was taken up on Wednesday by the apex court bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad and Justice Hamid Ali Mirza. But neither Mr Saifullah nor his advocate was present in the court.

NAB’s Advocate Ahmer Bilal Sufi pleaded that the respondent had not appeared before the court on last many hearings of the appeal despite several notices issued by the court. He requested the court to cancel his bail to ensure his presence on the next hearing. The bench granted his request and issued warrants in the sum of Rs50,000.