SUKKUR: Sukkur accountability court on Monday allowed the National Accountability Bureau to file final reference in the case against Pakistan Peoples Party leader Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah who faces charges of amassing assets beyond known means of income.

Judge Fareed Anwar Qazi, who was hearing the reference about Rs1.23 billion worth assets against Shah, said that the law permitted the submission of final reference.

The court had reserved the decision in its previous hearing on whether or not NAB could file the final reference and announced it, saying that hearing in the present reference would continue till the NAB filed the final reference.

The court informed that Shah would be indicted on next hearing and adjourned the case to Oct 24.

NAB prosecutor Malik Zubair said that other co-accused in the reference were two wives of Shah, Ms Talat Bibi and Gulnaz Bibi, his son Zeerak Shah and others.

Talking to media persons outside the court, Shah said that it had been a year since he was arrested but NAB had not produced any proof of corruption so far. He had been in business since 1974 when he was a student, he claimed.

He said that it was an old practice of this government to register fake cases against political opponents. He had learnt that the reference against him would further be changed, he said.

He said that there remained no politician in the country who had not been declared a traitor. It was not seen before but nowadays everyone was being declared traitor, he said.

He said that those talking against corruption were themselves busy looting national resources. Price of petrol was on the decline around the world but it was increasing in the country and all edibles and essential commodities including flour, eggs and vegetables had become costly, he said.

He said that rising inflation had broken the back of common man but the government showed least concern about them. The government was advised to consider emir Jamaat-i-Islami Sirajul Haq’s proposal for bringing down inflation rate to the level it used to be in 2018, he said.

Shah said that people had brought to bear tremendous pressure on opposition parties but they should understand that opposition’s job was only to point out problems, which it was doing.

He said that parliament’s help should be sought to bring an end to politics of abusive language and vengeful activities.

He said in reply to a question that when [former FIA director] Bashir Memon refused to accept Prime Minister Imran Khan’s directives he was sent on forced leave. This government had little patience for truth, he said.

He advised the federal government to avoid blaming anybody for the murder of Maulana Adil Khan and bring everyone on one page to help chalk out a strategy to protect the country from terrorists.

He said that a case had been registered against prime minister of Azad Kashmir which contained sections of terrorism law to please Indian premier. No good would come out of it.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2020