ISLAMABAD, March 4: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Prosecutor General Accountability to appear on March 10 to explain why former naval chief, Mansurul Haq, had been re-arrested after being released upon payment of US $7.5 million.

The petitions of ex-naval chief, who stands stripped of all of his ranks and medals, were taken up on Tuesday by a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Shaikh Riaz Ahmad.

When Advocate Akram Shaikh, counsel for the petitioner, completed his arguments, Abdul Baseer Qureshi, Deputy Prosecutor General Accountability, started his.

He opposed the filing of writ petition on the grounds that when other legal remedy was available, one should exhaust it first.

When the court posed a question to DPGA, he sought adjournment of the case, saying the Prosecutor General Accountability wanted to appear in the case, but was unable to as he had undergone a surgery and would be able to appear after a few days.

The court adjourned the case till March 10.

The former naval chief has approached the Supreme Court, contending that after the payment of over US $7.5 million to the government of Pakistan, he was not being spared and was involved in a fresh case.

The counsel stated that his client had entered into a plea-bargain on the condition that once he made payment, he would not be prosecuted in any other case.

The SC bench consisted of Chief Justice Shaikh Riaz Ahmed, Justice Mian M Ajmal and Justice M Nawaz Abbasi. Senior advocate Akram Shaikh represented Mansur.

The petitioner informed the court that he was originally charge-sheeted of embezzling $3.5 million and the NAB asked him to deposit $7.5 million. He said the plea-bargain amount was a compensation for all cases against him.

The petitioner is seeking quashment of the fresh reference pertaining to kickbacks he allegedly received in a deal of Pakistan National Shipping Corporation. In a separate petition, he also prayed the apex court to direct the NAB to set him free.

The petitioner referred to Article 13 of the Constitution and Section 403 CrPC, according to which the NAB has no authority to start a fresh case after allowing a plea-bargain. He argued that the re-trial could only be possible if the NAB refunded the paid compensation.