Corruption charges: SHC extends Sharjeel Memon’s protective bail

Judges inquire why applicant seeks bail so frequently if he does not intend to come back

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) expressed on Friday its extreme displeasure over the failure of the self-exiled Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sharjeel Inam Memon to return to the country to face trial in corruption cases.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, extended the former information minister's protective bail till January 6, 2017, which was granted to him earlier in connection with media advertisements’ corruption reference.

The judges inquired from the lawyer as to why the applicant was seeking extension in bail so frequently if he did not want to return to the country to join proceedings before the accountability court.

On November 2 this year, the court had approved his protective bail in a case relating to alleged illegal adjustment and consolidation of hundreds of acres of land in favour of a private housing project.

Granting bail in sum of Rs2 million, the court had directed him to join trial proceedings before the accountability court, where the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a reference against him.

Earlier, the court had also restrained granting protective bail to him in connection with an inquiry initiated by the NAB regarding alleged corruption in awarding of contracts to run advertising campaigns in the media on behalf of the provincial government.

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