LAHORE: A Lahore High Court two-judge bench on Tuesday adjourned for further arguments the hearing of post-arrest bail petition of former defence minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif in an inquiry of assets beyond means and money laundering initiated against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The NAB alleged Asif failed to explain the sources of his income and assets. It said the suspect was first elected a senator in 1991 when his assets were around Rs5 million. It said the assets of the suspect swelled to Rs221 million by 2018, which were beyond known sources of his income.

The NAB had arrested him from Islamabad on Dec 29, 2020, and later shifted him to Lahore where he remained on physical remand till Jan 22, 2021.

The former minister is a sitting MNA from NA-73, Sialkot.

Asif’s counsel argued before the bench that the petitioner during his 22-day physical remand with the NAB was not confronted with any evidence, which could prove owning assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

He said mere ownership of a property did not constitute an offence under section 9 (a) (v) of the National Accountability Ordinance.

He stated the petitioner had already provided the NAB with an explanation of various sources of income justifying the acquisition of the assets owned and possessed by him. He argued that onus to prove the allegations of owning any illegal asset was on the prosecution, which failed to establish its case.

The bench comprising Justice Alia Neelum and Justice Farooq Haider adjourned further hearing to be fixed after Eidul Fitr.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2021