LAHORE, Dec 23: An Ehtesab appellate bench of the Lahore High Court on Thursday suspended the sentence given to former deputy speaker of National Assembly Nawaz Khokhar on a reference decided by an accountability court in June.

The bench also allowed the PPP leader from Islamabad to be released from the Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, on bail on Rs3 million surety. Mr Khokhar was sentenced to three years' imprisonment with Rs1,898,648 fine and a 10-year disqualification from contesting election to assemblies.

The amount of fine equalled the commutation fee for the purchase of land which he had failed to pay within the stipulated period. This is the fourth high court bench which took a decision on the appeal by Mr Khokhar since it was admitted to hearing on June 6.

Justice Saeed Akhtar, one of the two members of the bench along with Justice Tasaddaq Husain Jilani, since elevated to the Supreme Court, declined to hear the appeal for personal reasons on July 7.

Mr Khokhar's counsel Manzoor Malik submitted that the appellant was charged under the 1997 Ehtesab law whereas he was sentenced in 1999. He submitted that the sentence was against the rules laid down by the Supreme Court in PLD 2000 SC 26.

The counsel submitted that the appellant had paid the entire mutation fee later which was no offence as such an action was condoned in late payment of utility bills. He submitted that since the fee had been paid, no loss to the public exchequer was made.

He submitted that five revenue officials who were held as co-accused along with the appellant and who were responsible for the recovery of the fee, were acquitted by the NAB court which was discriminatory.