Saad, brother approach LHC for protective bail

Say they fear NAB may arrest them on Oct 16 during interrogation

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Khwaja Saad Rafique and Khwaja Salman Rafique on Saturday approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) for their protective bails against their possible arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with the Paragon City scam.

In their bail petitions, filed through advocate Amjad Pervez, the siblings have expressed their apprehension that NAB might arrest them despite their furnishing all the required information to NAB interrogators.

The counsel has contended that petitioners are going to appear before a combined investigation team of NAB on Oct 16 in view of the call-up notices issued to them.

He said the petitioners have been cooperating with NAB in investigation but the bureau could arrest them ‘illegally’ in a similar way the PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif was arrested on October 5.

The petition said NAB has become a stooge in the hands of the incumbent government and has resorted to victimisation of political opponents and asked the court to grant the siblings protective bail so that they could approach the court of competent jurisdiction in case NAB issues their arrest warrants.

A division bench of the LHC, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, will take up their petitions on Monday. The Islamabad High Court has recently dismissed their similar petitions on technical grounds.