ISLAMABAD, April 27: The Supreme Court on Monday allowed PML-N information secretary Siddiqul Farooq to submit within two weeks record against his conviction in a reference about illegal appointments and misuse of authority as chairman of the House Building Finance Corporation.

The Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Javed Iqbal and Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar allowed Mr Farooq to present an audit report about the HBFC along with a State Bank report to prove his innocence. The bench was hearing Mr Farooq's appeal against the conviction and his subsequent disqualification from contesting the general election.

Mr Farooq filed a habeas corpus petition in the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court but the state in its reply maintained that it was unaware of his whereabouts.

Consequently, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court and Mr Farooq was presented before the court after frequent adjournments. The apex court later directed the petitioner to defend himself in a trial court when the National Accountability Bureau told it that a reference was being filed against him in an accountability court of Karachi.