Land allotment case: SHC extends Sharjeel Memon's protective bail

Prosecutor claims NAB had gathered evidence against the former minister and other accused

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) extended on Wednesday protective bail granted to  Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sharjeel Inam Memon in a case relating to alleged illegal adjustment, allotment and consolidation of state lands in favour of a private real estate developer.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar, extended his bail till today (June 1). Memon, a former provincial information minister, who had recently returned from self-imposed exile, had obtained protective bail in connection with an inquiry initiated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).



On Wednesday, the special prosecutor for the national anti-graft watchdog informed the court that Memon and Malir Development Authority's managing director had played a key role in illegal allotment of thousands of acres of the state land in Malir to Bahria Town. Such illegal land allotments caused loss worth billions of rupees to the national coffers, he added.

The prosecutor further claimed that Memon, who was serving as provincial minister for the local government department, was involved in the illegal land allotment. He further claimed that the bureau had gathered undeniable evidence against the former minister and other accused.

After hearing arguments, the bench adjourned the hearing till today. Till then, Memon's protective bail was extended.



Advertisements campaign corruption

Meanwhile, the same bench directed the office to tag bail application of Memon and other accused in a case relating to alleged corruption in the advertisements campaign of the provincial information department.

The PPP leader, along with the former secretary of the information department, Zulfiqar Shalwani, and others, is facing a corruption reference to the tune of Rs5.76 billion filed by NAB in the accountability court. The bench also extended the pre-arrest bail granted earlier to Shalwani till June 1.