SUKKUR: The Sukkur Accountability Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference against senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah and several co-accused till Jan 17.

NAB prosecutor Zubair Malik and investigating officer of the reference, pertaining to Mr Shah’s assets beyond his known sources of income, presented 17 documents relating to various properties and other evidence in court. They claimed that all these assets belonged to Mr Shah.

Mr Shah’s two sons, MPA Farrukh Shah and Zeerak Shah, and two nephews, provincial minister Syed Awais Shah and Junaid Shah, a contractor, Akram Pathan, and several other co-accused also appeared in court.

Speaking to local reporters outside the court, Mr Shah’s counsel Advocate Mukesh Kumar Karira described the reference as a unique one. He alleged that NAB had long been used in vengeful acts.

Syed Khursheed Shah, speaking to reporters, commented on the situation in the region following US aerial raid on a convoy in Baghdad to eliminate Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, saying that it (the situation) was explosive but he did not see a war hitting South Asia. He, however, advised the federal government to go for hectic diplomacy by sending emissaries to Islamic states in order to help their leaders avert such a war.

He also stressed the need for an effective role to be played by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Mr Shah said that the prime minister should act in this situation like [Zulfikar Ali] Bhutto did in the past. He observed that the [PTI-led] government was not playing an effective role.

He called for a joint session of parliament to be held to discuss the situation and take appropriate decisions on Pakistan’s policy towards the ongoing conflict.

Regarding passage of the bill pertaining to the tenure/extension of three services’ chiefs in the National Assembly, Mr Shah said the development was positive and favourable for the country and the government.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2020