LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday set aside sentence handed down to National Assembly former deputy speaker Nawaz Khokhar in a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference.

An accountability court had in 2004 handed down three-year sentence to Mr Khokhar on charges of misappropriating millions of rupees funds of union councils.

Mr Khokhar challenged his conviction through Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan and pleaded that the reference was politically motivated.

The counsel argued the trial court acquitted five other suspects of the reference and convicted Khokhar on the basis of mere allegations. He said the NAB failed to produce any tangible evidence before the court to prove the allegations against his client.

The counsel asked the court to set aside the sentence and acquit the appellant.

A division bench headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi heard the arguments and allowed the appeal against the conviction.

FRESH NOTICES: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday issued fresh notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and MNA Asfandyar Bhandara on a plea seeking disqualification of the parliamentarian.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Inqilab in its petition stated that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) references were pending against the MNA but he concealed the fact while filing his nomination papers.

Petitioner’s counsel A.K Dogar said the respondent MNA did not meet the criteria prescribed in the Constitution for a member of assembly.

He asked the court to invoke provisions of Articles 62 & 63 of the Constitution and disqualify the respondent.

A law officer told the court that neither the ECP nor the respondent MNA responded to the court’s previous notices.

Justice Ayesha A. Malik adjourned hearing till Oct 27 and issued fresh notices to the respondents.

Mr Bhandara was elected to the assembly on a reserved seat for the minorities.

ECL: A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court with a prayer to place names of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his wife Kalsoom Nawaz on the Exit Control List (ECL).

Barrister Javed Iqbal Jafree, the petitioner, stated the PM and the first lady had been making countless foreign visits on state expense.

He said during their foreign visits the respondents lived in some of the most expensive hotels. He said all expenses incurred on these visits were being made from the national exchequer.

The lawyer asked the court to put the PM and his wife on ECL so that they could not further misuse the public money for personal gains.

Published in Dawn, October 1st , 2014