NAB challenges bail granted to Safdar

In February, the SC had allowed Sharif family’s sugar mills to start functioning in the best interest of growers

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has taken notice of non-payment of price of sugarcane to farmers by sugar mills in South Punjab.  The notice was taken on applications of different farmers complaining that they are not being paid price of sugarcane.

The CJP has directed all sugar mills to provide certificate duly endorsed by CEO of the sugar mill within ten days to show the quantity of sugarcane that has been purchased from farmers and the price offered to them. The case has been fixed for hearing on April 24 at Islamabad.

In February, the Supreme Court had allowed Sharif family’s sugar mills to start functioning in the best interest of growers.

However, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has approached the Supreme Court against accountability court’s order to grant bail of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Captain (retired) Safdar.

A senior official in NAB told The Express Tribune that the bureau has prepared a petition wherein it is stated that the accountability court has no jurisdiction to release a person on bail when he is arrested in execution of warrant of arrest.


He added that only the high court can grant bail by exercising constitutional jurisdiction under Article 199 of the constitution once the person has been arrested.

The official said that the copy of petition and relevant documents have been handed over to advocates-on-record (AOR) for filing it. However, the SC’s institution branch is claiming that the petition is yet to be received. Earlier, the Islamabad High Court had rejected the same plea of NAB.