SC issues notices to NAB over Sharjeel Memon's bail application

Hearing adjourned till first week of January

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notices to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) over the bail application of former provincial information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon.

The three judge bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan took up Memon's application seeking bail in corruption cases. Justice Latif Khosa appeared on behalf of the applicant.

The counsel stated that NAB has adopted a dual policy as an accused in Sindh is sent behind bars, but the same is not happening in Punjab in similar cases.



The court while issuing notices to NAB adjourned the hearing till first week of January.

On Monday, an accountability court deferred the indictment of Memon, Inam Akbar and others in a reference on charge of Rs6 billion corruption in advertisements. The NAB filed the reference on October 2 last year, accusing Memon, Akbar and others of corruption in awarding provincial government’s public campaigns and advertisements to electronic media.

Memon and co-accused were arrested by the NAB after the Sindh High Court (SHC) cancelled their interim bail on October 23 this year.

Besides him, the former provincial information secretary Zulfiqar Ali Shalwani, deputy directors of information department Anita Baloch, Mansoor Ahmed Rajput and Mohammed Yousuf Kaboro, Syed Masood Hashmi of the Orient Communication (PVT) Ltd, Gulzar Ali and Salman Mansoor of Adarts and Inam Akbar of Evernew Concepts were among the 17 accused cited in the reference.



On Monday, the accountability court was set to frame charges against all accused, who were in attendance except for Gulzar Ali. An application was moved on behalf of Gulzar Ali, pleading to excuse him from appearing for a day.

This prompted the court to defer the indictment of all accused till the next hearing.

Meanwhile, Memon’s lawyer moved an application, asking the court to tell the provincial government to form a medical board for examination.