Court hearing: Inquiry against Talpur in accordance with law: NAB

Asif Zardari's brother-in-law claims NAB 'illegally harassing him'

KARACHI: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) informed the Sindh High Court on Tuesday that the anti-corruption body is acting in strict accordance with the law while conducting investigations against Munawar Ali Talpur, the brother-in-law of former president Asif Ali Zardari.

A division bench, headed by Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh, was hearing a bail-before-arrest application filed by Talpur, a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker.

Talpur had alleged that NAB had issued call-up notices to him in connection with inquiries into his alleged accumulation of assets beyond declared sources of income.

The petitioner had argued that he had already been granted interim bail before arrest, thus the NAB may be restrained from issuing him call-up notices and 'harassing' him.

During Tuesday's proceedings, NAB officials filed comments stating that the inquiry was initiated against the PPP lawmaker on the basis of complaints regarding accumulation of assets through corruption and corrupt practices. Upon completion of verification, the matter was placed in the bureau's executive board meeting and an inquiry was then authorised against the lawmaker.

NAB deputy director Qamar Abbas Abbasi was authorised to conduct the inquiry earlier this year, who issued letters and call-up notices to all relevant quarters, including the petitioner, to probe into the matter, stated the NAB.

The bureau maintained that the petitioner was asked to appear before the inquiry team on February 26 along with performas duly signed by him.

Instead of appearing before the inquiry officer with the necessary documents, the petitioner presented an interim pre-arrest bail signed by the high court's Hyderabad bench, the bureau said in its reply. The bureau also claimed that the high court had ordered Talpur to join the inquiry and submit the required documents but he failed to do so.

Talpur did not appear before the bureau on February 4, but requested for time till March 18 to submit the performas. Therefore, another letter was issued on February 26 asking him to furnish the requisite information by that date, said the bureau.

"The petitioner has still not furnished the requisite information to NAB despite repeated notices and clear directions of the high court. Instead, he filed this instant constitutional petition," a NAB official said.

The bureau officials argued that Talpur's petition is not maintainable according to law, as it had been filed with the purpose of choking the process of accountability.

The bureau's report stated that the petitioner cannot claim unbridled protection, and that NAB has the legal authority to seek information from anyone against whom an inquiry has been initiated.

They alleged that the petition contained disputed questions of fact, which cannot be decided in extraordinary constitutional jurisdiction under Article 199, thus the plea may be dismissed.

Accepting the report on record, the court directed NAB to file a detailed report by April 27.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st,  2016.