NAB reference: Police chief told to ensure security of ex-prime minister

Accountability court directs IGP to provide adequate security to Raja Pervez Ashraf

LAHORE: An accountability court has directed the Punjab police chief to provide adequate security to former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf to ensure his appearance in court.

The directive came after the ex-premier’s counsel contended security measures were not satisfactory in the previous proceedings.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a reference against Ashraf, alleging him of getting hired over 400 employees illegally at the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) just to increase his vote bank. He was also accused of receiving kickbacks and commissions in rental power plant deals, when he was the federal water and power minister in 2008.



In previous hearings, Ashraf had requested exemptions from personal appearance owing to security concerns. The judge had told him to submit an application. The ex-PM was to appear in court on March 11 but he did not turn up citing inadequate security measures.

On Saturday, Ashraf’s counsel Iftikhar Shahid said they had filed a writ petition in Lahore High Court, which clearly directed no step be taken against the former PM but even then NAB filed the reference violating the orders.

He termed the case ‘merely political victimisation and media trial’ of the PPP.

When the judge insisted Ashraf should have appeared in court, the lawyer implored no appropriate security measures had been taken during the previous proceedings.

The counsel for another accused expressed his surprise that when judges were present inside the court why could the former premier not come to court.

The judge later directed Ashraf and other suspects to furnish bail bonds of Rs5,00,000 and fixed April 1 for hearing the plea for exemption.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2017.