LAHORE, Nov 15: District and Sessions Judge Syed Nasir Ali Shah on Saturday summoned FIA’s Lahore Region director on Nov 17 in a bail application by Munaaf Kalia and Javed Khanani and others accused of laundering money.

The court also directed the official to bring the case record.

The appellants said the FIA had arrested them on Nov 5 and obtained their physical remand from the court of a local magistrate, which was later extended for three more days.

Their counsel comprises Akram Sheikh, Sharjeel Adnan and Naveed Farooqi. Counsel for Javed Khanani said a judicial magistrate could not hear a case registered under section 23(a) of Foreign Exchange Act 1947 or give remand of the accused booked under this law.

He added the physical remand of Mr Khanani obtained by FIA was illegal.

Counsel for Munaaf Kalia, advancing his arguments, said his client was in illegal detention of FIA since Nov 9. He sought directions for the investigating agency to produce his client before the court for setting him at liberty. Meanwhile, Rana Ijaz Ahmad Khan advocate, appearing on behalf of Rustam Ali Khan and Tariq Mahmood, the co-accused in the case, argued the case against his clients was fabricated.

He said both the accused were employees at Khanani & Kalia Franchise, Gujranwala, and not responsible for any crime committed by their employers.

They should be released on bail as they were not involved in money laundering case registered against Munaaf Kalia and Javed Khanani, he said.

Fresh plea: Through a new petition, Supreme Court has been moved against the sale of shares of Qadirpur Gas Field.

Earlier, the SC office had returned Watan Party’s petition, filed through Barrister Zafarullah, with objection that the petitioner was not an aggrieved person to challenge the sale, besides no violation of any fundamental right of the petitioner was committed. Barrister Zafarullah on Saturday filed a fresh petition in which he replied to the objections.

He said the apex court in many cases had already held that any person could bring to the court a matter of public importance.