LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday asked the National Accountability Bureau to apprise it on the next hearing whether it was going to file a reference against former senior minister of Punjab, Abdul Aleem Khan.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi observed that if the NAB had no plan to file a reference against Mr Khan then the court would decide his bail petition.

Mr Khan’s counsel argued before the bench that his client was on judicial remand since March 5 and the NAB had not filed any reference. He asked the bench to decide the bail petition without any delay.

A NAB prosecutor stated that the reference would be filed after final approval of the bureau’s chairman. He said investigation was near its completion and interim reference would be filed within the next 15 days.

The bench advised the petitioner’s counsel to wait and see whether the NAB filed reference against his client.

Justice Najafi pointed out that the Supreme Court discouraged bail unless the situation was critical.

The judge directed the prosecutor to come up on the next hearing with a clear response on the bureau’s decision to file a reference against the petitioner. The bench would resume the hearing on May 13.

The NAB had arrested Aleem Khan on Feb 6 last when he appeared before its combined investigation team. On March 5, an accountability court had denied the bureau further custody of Mr Khan and sent him to jail on judicial remand.

Mr Khan’s counsel said the NAB miserably failed to produce any evidence to establish the allegations of possessing assets beyond means. He said the petitioner’s all assets had been declared in his wealth statements and other filings, and he did not conceal anything.

Moreover, he said, each and every asset, income and source had been disclosed before the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the same record had been given to the NAB as well.

The counsel argued that the NAB’s allegations that Mr Khan’s parents acted as “benamidars” for the petitioner and that he held assets through them were false.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2019