Suspect in money laundering case gets bail

SHC adjourns hearing on plea against Dr Asim's appointment as Sindh HEC head

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) granted on Friday protective bail to Sher Muhammad Mugheri, one of the suspects in a money laundering case along with Asif Ali Zardari, Faryal Talpur, Hussain Lawai and others.

A two-member bench approved Mugheri's bail for seven days against a sum of Rs200,000. The SHC also directed him to appear before the trial court.

Talpur and another suspect, Shehzad Jatoi, also got protective bail in the case.

 Another bail plea

A two-member bench of the SHC also heard bail petition of Shaheed Benazirabad Commissioner Ghulam Mustafa Phul who was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for his alleged involvement in a land scam after his pleas for pre-arrest bail were rejected by the SHC and Supreme Court.

The federal anti-graft watchdog submitted a reply to the court in which it claimed that Phul, during the time when he served as the land utilisation secretary, approved illegal conversion of 70 acres of industrial land in Malir into residential scheme. The bureau informed the court that a reference had been filed against Phul and other suspects.

The SHC directed the suspect's lawyer to submit a reply by August 8 and adjourned hearing till then.



Hearing adjourned

The SHC also adjourned hearing on a petition against the appointment of Dr Asim Hussain as the head of the Sindh Higher Education Commission (HEC) for indefinite period as the petitioner's lawyer failed to show up at the court.

The petitioner, Pakistan Sunni Tehreek chief Sarwat Aijaz Qadri, had challenged the appointment of Dr Asim as the provincial HEC's head, claiming that he was only appointed on the post because of his close ties with Zardari.

Qadri requested the SHC in his petition to annul the appointment as there were several charges of corruption against Dr Asim. The court was informed that the Sindh HEC chief was allegedly involved in a Rs426 billion scam when he served as the petroleum adviser. Dr Asim was also accused in another corruption case involving Rs17 billion and he had also been accused of providing medical treatment to terrorists, the petitioner claimed.

It was maintained in the petition that the appointment of Dr Asim as Sindh HEC chief was unlawful as he was involved in serious cases and so he should be removed from the post.