PESHAWAR, April 5: The National Accountability Bureau chairman has accepted bargain plea of an absconding former member of National Assembly, Haji Naseemur Rehman.

An accountability court official said Haji Rehman, who was sentenced in absentia to three years imprisonment by an accountability court, had reportedly agreed to pay Rs200 million and, in return, NAB would drop charges against him of possessing assets disproportionate to his known income sources. The application for his plea bargain was filed a few days back.

The former MNA has paid Rs10 million and Rs190 million will be paid in instalments. After the acceptance of his plea, the court concerned suspended the operation on attachment of his properties.

On Friday, Barrister Arshid Abdullah, representing Mr Rehman, withdrew an application filed by him for removal of the court operator and policemen from properties of the applicant.

After the acceptance of the plea bargain by the NAB chairman, the policemen and officials had been removed, therefore the application had become anfractuous.

The arrest warrants of Mr Rehman were issued by the chairman.

As he was evading arrest, a reference was filed  before the accountability court under Section 31-A of the NAB Ordinance, 1999.  He was sentenced to three years imprisonment.  

His appeal was also dismissed by the high court on June 19, 2001, and his appeal has been pending before the Supreme Court.

The accountability court concerned had also completed proceedings against him under sections 87 and 88 of the Criminal Procedure Code and ordered attachment of his properties.

The court had appointed squadron leader Athar Nadeem retired as court receiver for management of the attached properties.