KARACHI: The Nati­onal Accounta­bility Bureau (NAB) has sought the trial court’s permission to grill detained suspect Atif Zaman inside jail in connection with an inquiry into an alleged scam involving shady investments worth billions of rupees.

Police had booked and detained the alleged prime suspect Atif Zaman for killing his two business partners — TV anchor Mureed Abbas and Khizar Hayat — in Khayaban-i-Bukhari, DHA, over a financial dispute, on July 9.

On Wednesday, an investigating officer for the federal anti-graft watchdog moved an application before the additional district and sessions’ judge (South) Rajesh Chandar Rajput, where the double murder case is pending indictment of the suspects.

In the application, filed under Section 96 of the Criminal Procedure Code, IO Mohammad Umair informed that NAB Karachi was conducting an inquiry against Atif Zaman and others on the allegation of corruption and corrupt practices and cheating the public at large, offences cognizable under Section 9(a) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

During the inquiry, the IO mentioned, it had transpired that Atif Zaman had already been detained in connection with the alleged double murder, which was pending before the incumbent court.

It further mentioned that the police had sealed two properties in connection with the murder case; Atif Zaman’s flat located in DHA and an office, also in Defence.

“NAB Karachi [has] received credible information that very important record pertaining to the subject case is available at his said flat and office,” claimed the IO adding that “recovery of record is imperative for the just and expeditious completion of the subject inquiry”.

Therefore, the court was asked to order de-sealing of the flat and office besides granting a search warrant to the NAB IO to search these properties for the purpose of collecting material evidence “likely to be recovered from there” in the presence of a judicial magistrate to be nominated by the trial court.

The court was also requested to grant permission to the NAB IO to interrogate Atif Zaman inside prison and necessary directives may also be issued to the prison superintendent in this regard.

The judge issued notice to the state prosecutor to advance arguments on the plea and fixed the matter on Nov 16.

Meanwhile, the judge directed the prosecution to provide copies of the documentary evidence to suspect Adil Zaman in a case pertaining to allegedly allowing his licensed pistol to be used by his brother Atif Zaman in the commissioning of the double murder.

The case involving an alleged shady investment scam of billions of rupees had been moving back and forth since the police detained the Zaman brothers in July.

Initially, the judicial magistrate (South) Abdul Raquib Tunio referred the case to the administrative judge of the ATCs on Aug 20 observing that the matter fell within the ambit of ATA.

Later, the ATC-I judge allowed an application moved by Zaman seeking transfer of the case back to the sessions’ court.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2019