Concealed dual nationality: Two days after conviction, former AGP gets bail

ISLAMABAD: Two days after the former auditor general of Pakistan (AGP) had been sentenced to serve a year in rigorous imprisonment after being convicted on charges of concealing his Canadian citizenship, he was released from jail.

Additional Sessions Judge in district West Sayyed Faizan Haider has suspended the sentenced passed on July 31 and ordered that ex-AGP Akhtar Buland Rana to be released on bail.

The judge granted bail against a bail bond worth Rs100,000 and two additional sureties.

“As the sentence is short and hearing of the appeal [filed by the convict’s representatives] may take some time, hence, the sentence of the appellant is suspended and the appellant is released on bail,” Judge Haider stated in his order.

On July 31, Senior Civil Judge in district West Muhammad Shabbir had convicted Rana under section 6 of the Passport Act 1974 for concealing his Canadian citizenship and sentenced him to two consecutive six-month jail terms. The court also imposed a fine of Rs200,000 on him.

After the judge pronounced the judgment, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) took Rana into custody at the court and later handed him over to authorities at the Adiala Jail.

Previously, Rana was on bail since December 2015. On Monday, the parties presented their final arguments in the case and, subsequently, the court convicted the ex-AGP.

After he was sent to jail, Rana through his counsel filed an appeal against the judgment in the Sessions court.

Along with the appeal, the counsel moved an application under section 426 (Suspension of sentence pending appeal: the release of appellant on bail) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

In the application, the counsel argued that since the sentence was quite short, therefore, the conviction and sentence may be suspended and the petitioner may be granted bail till the appeal is decided.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2017.