ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday granted protective bail to a former MPA in a case related to allegedly illegal land allotment.

Saleem Jan Mazari was declared a proclaimed offender in the case by a Sukkur accountability court, but rather than face trial he travelled out of the country.

Upon his return, Mr Mazari sought ore-arrest bail, saying he wanted to join the trial proceedings.

An IHC division bench granted him bail against Rs1 million in surety bonds.

The court also directed him to appear before the accountability court in 10 days.

CNS court issues arrest warrants in ephedrine case

A control of narcotics substances (CNS) court in Islamabad has issued arrest warrants for Ali Musa Gillani and Malik Zunair in the case related to the misuse of 9,000 kilograms of ephedrine.

Mr Gillani and Mr Zunair were absent when CNS Judge Wajid Ali resumed the proceedings. Other accused individuals, including Makhdoom Shahabuddin and Ansar Farooq Chaudhry, were present in the courtroom. The court adjourned further hearing until Feb 21.

Bail plea of judge video case suspect dismissed

An Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) dismissed a post-arrest bail plea by Nadir Khan, who is accused in the judge video scandal case.

Mr Khan was a cameraman who allegedly filmed accountability judge Arshad Malik in an allegedly compromising situation.

Maryam Nawaz, daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, had claimed in a press conference that the accountability judge convicted her father because he was blackmailed with this video.

Judge Malik, however, alleged that PML-N supporters used the video to pressure him to acquit Sharif in the Al-Azizia reference.

Mr Khan’s counsel argued that his client was a cameraman who was operating his equipment, and that he was hired by Mian Tariq to film the judge. The judge remarked that the accused was not a child and could have refused to undertake the assignment. He dismissed the bail plea.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2020