LAHORE, April 24: An appellate bench of the Lahore High Court on Thursday issued notice to NAB for April 30 on the appeal of former federal minister Akhtar Ali Vario, challenging his conviction.

Justices Ali Nawaz Chohan and Mian Muhammad Jahangir directed the NAB prosecutor to submit report on next hearing.

Mr Vario submitted that he was awarded three years imprisonment and Rs0.5 million fine in absentia.

He requested the court to set aside the conviction as he was not given a chance to plead his case.

The bench also adjourned the hearing of the appeal of Javed Iqbal, former secretary of Punjab co-operative, for April 29 as the NAB counsel sought time.

The appeal has been filed against five years imprisonment and Rs20 million fine awarded by an accountability court in a reference of illegal assets.

Appellant’s counsel Abid Hassan Minto completed his argument on Thursday.

NICFC CASE: The bench adjourned the hearing of the appeals of cooperatives societies former officials.

Justices Ali Nawaz Chohan and Mian Muhammad Jahangir directed the LHC office to fix the appeals of former directors of the National Investment Credit and Finance Corporation (NICFC).

Chaudhry Abdul Hameed, Makhdoom Salahuddin, Sheikh Muhammad Munir and Mujahid Zia Butt had challenged the three years imprisonment and Rs10 million fine each awarded to them by an accountability court Lahore on Aug 12, 2002.

The appellants are allegedly caused loss of Rs1.8 billion to the cooperative.

Taking up the application of Maj Altaf Hussain Qazi (retired), former circle officer of the Allied Cooperative Commercial Corporation, the bench directed NAB to submit reply on May 7.

Altaf Qazi submitted that he had a monetary dispute of Rs0.7 million with Amin and had paid Rs0.2 million in this regard.

He said that now he wanted to pay the remaining amount in instalments. The NAB authorities, at the behest of Amin, were forcing him to pay the whole amount otherwise he would be arrested.—APP