Plea bargain: PHC seeks assistance in Masoom Shah’s case

PESHAWAR:

The Peshawar High Court has sought National Accountability Bureau’s assistance in former adviser to chief minister Masoom Shah’s plea bargain case.

A division bench, comprising PHC Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Qaiser Rasheed, heard a petition on Tuesday filed by the former adviser through his lawyer Barrister Waqar.

The bench directed the NAB prosecutor to explain why an accountability court’s approval is required after the bureau’s chairperson has accepted the plea bargain offer.

The petitioner, who was arrested by NAB on August 11, 2015 for illegally accumulating assets by misusing his authority, offered to return Rs258 million to NAB. The offer was accepted by the NAB chairperson and the application was filed at an accountability court for approval.

However, the accountability court did not approve the application after which Shah filed an application at the high court.

The division bench was informed that after the plea bargain offer was accepted by the NAB chairperson, the accountability court was expected to approve it.

NAB Prosecutor General Jamil Saraf argued the bureau had already filed its comments and the accountability court should accept the plea bargain otherwise similar cases will continue to be filed in the high court.

The bench directed the NAB prosecutor and the lawyer to assist the court on the issue and adjourned the case till Wednesday (today).  Meanwhile, accountability court judge Ibrahim Khan has adjourned the hearing on an application filed to approve the plea bargain till February 11.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th,  2016.