LAHORE: An accountability court on Monday granted interim pre-arrest bail to former chief minister Usman Buzdar in an inquiry launched by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against him and others on charges of misuse of authority and corruption in award of a liquor licence to a hotel in Lahore.

Buzdar appeared before the court along with his counsel Barrister Momin Malik.

The counsel argued that the petitioner had apprehension of his arrest due to mala fide of the NAB in the inquiry against the officials of the Punjab excise & taxation department, the management of M/s Unicorn Prestige Ltd and others.

He stated that there was not an iota of evidence on record to suggest that the petitioner derived any illegal pecuniary advantage of benefit in any manner whatsoever. He said no offence was made out against the petitioner for want of arrest under any provision of the NAO 1999.

He asked the court to grant pre-arrest bail to the petitioner.

After hearing the arguments, presiding judge Naseem Ahmad Virk allowed the bail to Buzdar till Nov 22 subject to furnishing surety bonds of Rs500,000. The judge also sought a reply from the NAB on the next hearing.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2022