LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to PML-N MNA Barjees Tahir on a petition of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) challenging an order of an accountability court favouring the politician.

A special prosecutor of the NAB argued before a division bench that the accountability court had directed the bureau to inform Tahir 10 days before issuing his arrest warrants, if required.

He said the order by the trial court was illegal and beyond its jurisdiction. He asked the court to set aside the decision of the trial court.

The bench headed by Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi issued a notice to the respondent MNA for submission of a reply by April 18.

The accountability court had disposed of a pre-arrest bail petition of Tahir in an inquiry of assets beyond means after the NAB said it did not require his arrest.

However, the court had directed the NAB to inform the petitioner 10 days before his arrest after issuance of the warrants.

Mr Tahir, also a former federal minister, said in his petition that the NAB had already closed the impugned inquiry against him in 2003. However, he said, the bureau again started issuing him call-up notices in 2019 in the same inquiry.

He said the NAB unlawfully converted a complaint into an investigation against him and there were apprehensions of his arrest.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2022