LAHORE: A Lahore High Court division bench on Tuesday sought a reply from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on a petition of Farhat Shahzadi, a friend of former prime minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, her husband Ahsan Jamil Gujjar and Ghausia Builders Gujranwala, challenging an inquiry against them.

The bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi also directed the NAB to submit a report about the status of all inquiries pending against the petitioners.

Advocate Azhar Siddique argued on behalf of the petitioners that the NAB had no jurisdiction to initiate inquiry against private persons.

He said the NAB issued call-up notices to the petitioners for an inquiry which had already been closed by it in 2019.

The lawyer alleged that the reopening of the inquiry by the bureau was an act of mala fide and political victimisation.

He argued that the NAB had not furnished any details of the inquiry to the petitioners despite repeated requests as the housing scheme in question was legal, although very old.

He said the petitioners were ready to defend the charges, but the NAB caused harassment to them.

He asked the court to set aside impugned call-up notices and the inquiry as well for being unlawful and without jurisdiction.

The bench adjourned the hearing till May 22.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2023