KARACHI: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday informed the Sindh High Court that Mir Munawwar Ali Talpur, a member of the National Assembly and brother-in-law of former president Asif Ali Zardari, was not required by the bureau any more for investigation as his name had been withdrawn in an inquiry into illegal allotment of land and misappropriation of millions of rupees.

NAB filed this statement before a two-judge bench, headed by Justice Syed Mohammad Farooq Shah who put off the matter till Tuesday (today) on a request of the counsel appearing for the PPP MNA.

When the bench asked the counsel if he wanted to withdraw Mr Talpur’s petition after NAB’s statement, the counsel informed the court that Advocate Farooq H. Naek, who was representing the PPP MNA, was not in the city and requested the court to adjourn the matter for one day.

Earlier on Dec 13, the SHC had allowed the PPP MNA, who was given pre-arrest bail, to leave the country for two months in order to get medical treatment abroad. The PPP MNA from NA-227 (Mirpurkhas), who is the husband of Mr Zardari’s sister Faryal, had filed an application seeking permission to travel abroad on medical grounds.

Headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, a two-judge bench had granted Mr Talpur’s application allowing him to travel abroad for medical treatment between Dec 14, 2016 and Feb 14, 2017.

The petitioner had sought pre-arrest bail, anticipating arrest by NAB, which had initiated an inquiry against him on corruption charges. He said the bureau had issued him a call-up notice regarding the alleged illegal allotment of land and misappropriation of millions of rupees.

He claimed that NAB was attempting to falsely implicate him in the cases and that he had never been involved in any corruption or misuse of authority.

The former president’s brother-in-law further submitted in the petition that he was being “harassed by NAB” under the pretext of that inquiry. He asked the SHC to restrain NAB from arresting him without the court’s permission.

Published in Dawn February 7th, 2017