PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court has granted bail to an accused arrested in connection with a high-profile case involving the alleged embezzlement of over Rs37 billion in the Upper Kohistan district accounts office.

A bench consisting of Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Babar Sattar accepted a petition filed by the accused, Syed Naseer, on condition of furnishing two surety bonds of Rs1 million each.

The petitioner’s counsel Lajbar Khan Khalil stated that his client was arrested on Nov 5, 2025, and since then he had been in detention.

He stated that the allegations against the petitioner were that he had opened and operated an individual bank account at the National Bank of Pakistan, Dassu Branch, Upper Kohistan, with mala fide intent to commit or facilitate the embezzlement.

Mr Khalil argued that the petitioner had never operated the disputed bank account and even the relevant cheques didn’t bear his signatures.

He argued that his client was neither a public office holder nor does deal with the public funds and by no stretch of imagination could be held responsible for the alleged embezzlement.

The bench observed that during a previous hearing it had directed the respondents including the NAB to place on record the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) report pertaining to the cheques allegedly utilised for withdrawal of the said amount.

“Today, Mr Waqar Ahmad, deputy director/investigation officer, appeared before the court and produced the relevant record, including the bank statement and the copies of the withdrawal cheques. However, he candidly conceded that no forensic evidence had been collected to establish whether the signatures appearing on the statement of account and the cheques were in fact those of the petitioner or otherwise,” the bench pointed out.

The bench observed that the prosecution had already secured the relevant documentary evidence and no useful purpose would be served by keeping the petitioner in custody.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2026