LHC seeks NAB's reply over Fawad Hasan Fawad's petition against 'wrongful arrest'

Fawad Hasan Fawad, the former principal secretary to the prime minister, has challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC) his arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), DawnNewsTV reported on Wednesday.

Fawad, a senior bureaucrat, is one of the accused in the multimillion rupee Ashiana housing scam. He also faces charges of misusing his authority to amass assets beyond his income.

The corruption watchdog had arrested him on July 15.

Under the stewardship of Justice Tariq Abbasi, a two-member bench of the LHC heard Fawad's petition against his arrest, which pleads that the court declare his arrest "illegal" due to an alleged "failure to fulfill legal requirements" for his arrest by NAB.

"NAB arrested Fawad in the PLDC (Punjab Land Development Company) corruption case," the petition notes.

"The arrest made in the case of assets beyond means was against the law and a violation of Section 24 of the NAB Ordinance," it argues.

The petitioner has subsequently asked the court to issue orders for Fawad's release.

The LHC bench, after hearing the petition, has issued notices to NAB and other parties. However, it has rejected a request to form a medical board for Fawad's medical examination, and directed his counsel to file a separate petition for that.

Pakistan

Rana Bilal is a Lahore-based reporter for Dawn News (TV) with over nine years of experience covering legal affairs, justice-sector developments, and environmental issues. He can be found on X at @ranabilaldawn.

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Anti-Corruption_Pakistani

Aug 15, 2018 06:55pm

Based on the previous history, all accused and convicted politicians and bureaucrats shred crocodile's tears and claim to be innocent. They also become sick in custody and jails, as they don't have courage to face adverse consequences - this is their history and shame on such coward people!

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NACParis

Aug 15, 2018 07:40pm

He should admit his wrong doings to set up an example. All such criminals should now realize that there is no more corrupt Government in Pakistan to protect them. It is now time for investigative agencies to change also and obtain information about collaborators as corrupt bureaucrats do not act alone without involvement of high up.

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Lahori kid

Aug 15, 2018 07:40pm

Why do I politicians become ill as soon as they hear about accountability

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Uza Syed

Aug 15, 2018 07:58pm

Thieves do get caught, even if it takes a while in case of a whole gang of powerful thieves. A thief is called a thief because he is guilty of robbing someone or something that is not his and that is certainly less than kosher. So why this moaning and whining when caught, what is wrong about catching a thief and putting him where this one is I need addition to some others of his gang.

Recommend 0

Alba

Aug 15, 2018 07:59pm

They will not get away with their corruption any longer.

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My Advice

Aug 15, 2018 08:31pm

What would happen if they let him out. Would he appear in the court to prove his innocence or run away from the law like many others? In any case, a person accused of corruption should be provided full access to legal council of his choice. Ideally, a person is innocent until proven guilty. Lets see how this case proceeds, as the country has suffered a lot for many years due to corrupt practices of well connected, influential and powerful personnel. Now tide has turned and people demand justice.No more business as usual.

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Magnanimous approach

Aug 15, 2018 08:51pm

The trend seen in Pak after arrest of corrupt is almost same, their first stragedy is to DELAY the case process, untill situation changes for window of opportunity, second stragedy to mess up the case, like finding conflicting laws instances from Civil Laws, Criminal Law, Cases precedents, or invoking General Vast Meanings from article of Constitution, anyhow buy time, by using top notch lawyers, the third stragedy is “ Medical Aspects “ of the accused conditions, full political pressures are exerted on individual doctor, or even on Board of Doctors. Besides general adjournments, excuses,recuses, all remained part of proceedings. The backlogs of thousands of previous cases also a big hurdle, but beneficial for accused. Let the sky fall the corrupt and wrongdoers mustn’t be freed, like Nawaz Sharif an example before us.

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M. asghar

Aug 15, 2018 10:35pm

As the period of accountability is on for everybody, the corrupt elites are in panic.

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fairplay

Aug 16, 2018 01:07am

keep him in jail and on the ECL, sell off all his seized assets, designate a public hospital like Mayo for all medical treatment

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fairplay

Aug 16, 2018 07:18am

automatic arrest if embezzled amount over PKR 10 million, wirh no bail. medical treatment in-country only, and ECL entry automatic, removal by court order only.

Recommend 0

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