PESHAWAR: A special (anti-corruption) court here on Saturday adjourned hearing to July 25 of bail plea of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf central leader Ali Mohammad Khan as after repeated notices the anti-corruption establishment (ACE) finally submitted records of the case wherein he is charged with committing ‘irregularities’ in developmental schemes in Mardan district.

The senior special judge, Babar Ali Khan, heard arguments advanced by the petitioner’s lawyers Nadeem Shah and others, whereas the state prosecutor requested for some time to prepare the case. During previous several hearings, the case had to be adjourned due to non-availability of record by ACE.

Advocate Nadeem Shah contended that the prosecution was using delaying tactics so that the petitioner should remain behind bars. He stated that in the instant case, the petitioner was arrested on June 27 and his bail plea could not be decided after almost a month as the prosecution delayed production of the record on numerous dates.

Ali Mohammad is accused of irregularities in Mardan development schemes

He argued that the charges against Ali Mohammad were politically motivated and there was no evidence of any wrong doing against him.

The PTI leader was rearrested for the sixth time on June 27 after he was released from Mardan prison when he was granted bail by the same senior special judge in a case wherein ACE had charged him along with several other former lawmakers of PTI from Mardan for allegedly carrying out illegal appointments in fisheries department.

In the present case, ACE has registered FIR on June 26 wherein Mr Khan, a former minister of state, and three other former lawmakers have been charged with alleged irregularities in developmental schemes by awarding contracts to their ‘favourite’ contractors.

ACE has referred to an audit report and alleged that they had inflicted a loss of Rs17.82 million on the national exchequer. It alleged that the instead of awarding contracts of certain schemes to the lowest bidders, the suspects awarded the same to their ‘favourite’ contractors.

His counsel contended that the petitioner had no connection with the awarding of contracts as that was the job of relevant government officials.

It is pertinent to mention that Peshawar High Court on July 18 ordered the government not to further arrest Mr Khan in any criminal case. A bench consisting of Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Ijaz Anwar also sought details from the government about cases registered against him till July 25 over a petition filed by Mr Khan.

The petitioner has requested the court for provision of details from the law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies of all the cases and inquiries against him.

He has stated that despite getting bail in number of criminal cases registered under various sections of law and proceedings initiated under section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960, still the respondents including police and different anti-corruption bodies were bent upon to arrest and harass him in new cases.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2023