KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has issued a notice to the National Accountability Bureau on an application of former Sindh minister Sharjeel Memon seeking permission to travel abroad.

The former information minister, who has been facing trial in two corruption references before accountability courts in Karachi and one reference in Islamabad, through his lawyer moved the SHC.

The counsel contended that the applicant, who had already been on bail in these references, was willing to visit the USA regarding the admission of his daughter in a university there and added that the former minister was ready to fulfil the conditions to be imposed by the court in this regard.

After a preliminary hearing, a division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro issued a notice to NAB for Aug 10.

NAB had filed the first reference in 2016 against the former minister, some officials of the information department Sindh and private persons for allegedly committing corruption from 2013 to 2015 in awarding advertisements of provincial government’s awareness campaigns to electronic media that caused a loss of around Rs3.27 billion.

The second reference was filed in 2019 before an accountability court Karachi against him, his family members and other accused for allegedly accumulating illegal assets of around Rs2.4bn and getting properties registered in the names of his family members and various other people.

Mr Memon is also facing trial before an accountability court in Islamabad regarding alleged kickbacks and bribes in the Roshan Sindh project.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2021