KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday sought comments from a federal law officer on a petition of former Sindh information minister and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Sharjeel Inam Memon requesting the court to restrain the National Accountability Bureau from arresting him.

Mr Memon had filed two petitions in the SHC seeking the removal of his name from the Exit Control List (ECL) and against his possible arrest by NAB on his arrival at the airport in an inquiry against him.

An SHC bench heard Mr Memon’s petition and directed the deputy attorney general to file comments on the next date of hearing.

Earlier, the court had inquired about the schedule of Mr Memon’s return so that appropriate orders could be passed in accordance with the law.

The bench also directed NAB to inform the court whether any inquiry was under way against the PPP leader.

He stated in the petitions that since law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies had begun a crackdown on political leaders, he had come to know through the media that NAB had also initiated an inquiry against him with regards to alleged corruption during his recent tenure as information minister.

According to his counsel, neither the former provincial information minister was involved in corrupt practices, nor had he ever misused power when in government.

However, the counsel alleged, attempts were being made to involve Mr Memon in false cases for offences he had not committed without any cause, reason and without providing him an opportunity of a fair hearing.

He stated that his client was never involved in any corruption or misuse of authority.

He impleaded the NAB chairman and director general as respondents and feared that his client might be arrested by the NAB authorities on the basis of graft inquiries and bar imposed on his travelling abroad if and when he returned to the country.

He asked the court to restrain the apex anti-corruption watchdog from arresting him without the permission of the court.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2016

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