Corruption references: NAB restrained from arresting, harassing AWKUM VC

Same bench also disposed off a writ filed by widow of schoolteacher

PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel has restrained the National Accountability Bureau from harassing and arresting the vice chancellor of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan (AWKUM).

He said the accountability body has devised new ways to harass people by filing several corruption references separately against them. He said these techniques were unacceptable as they aimed to harass people.

The chief justice was hearing a writ petition on Thursday. The petition was filed by Abdul Wali Khan University Vice Chancellor Dr Ihsan Ali on Thursday. The petition was filed against yet another call-up notice issued to the petitioner by NAB to appear before an investigation officer.

The chief justice questioned why enquiries had not been initiated against a person if he had allegedly committed a crime. Petitioner’s counsel Arshad Ali said his client was an educationist and was serving as vice chancellor. He said several corruption references were pending before trial courts against him.



He said NAB had initiated an enquiry into illegal recruitments at the university that was challenged in the high court where a division bench restrained NAB from arresting him. Ali said yet another call-up notice was issued to the petitioner to appear in connection with an enquiry regarding alleged misuse of scholarship funds. “NAB should start enquiries simultaneously if it is interested but issuing call-up notices one after another is an attempt to harass the petitioner,” he contended.

He said it is illegal and unconstitutional to harass a citizen by issuing call-up notices against him and requested the bench to restrain NAB from harassing and arresting the petitioner.

NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Jamil Saraf told the court this was a different enquiry but the chief justice observed that all enquiries should be initiated at the same time.

The bench, after hearing the comments, accepted the plea of the petitioner and restrained NAB from arresting and harassing him. The court also directed him to cooperate with NAB.



Petition disposed off

The same bench also disposed off a writ filed by widow of a schoolteacher who had been kidnapped and killed by militants after the provincial government paid compensation amount to her.

When the hearing commenced, the bench was informed that petitioner’s husband was a primary schoolteacher, who was kidnapped by militants and the family was informed about his murder. The petitioner said she has not been paid the compensation amount under the Shuhada package which was illegal and requested the bench to order the authority for payment of the amount.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 1^st, 2016.