Durrani remanded to NAB custody till March 1
Scores of PPP workers greet the accused at court, allege discrimination on NAB’s part
Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani was brought to the accountability court by the NAB on Thursday amid tight security. PHOTO: ONLINE
KARACHI:
An accountability court handed over on Thursday the Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on physical remand till March 1 for interrogation relating to allegations of accumulation of assets beyond means and irregularities in the construction of MPAs' Hostel in Karachi.
Durrani was arrested a day earlier by the NAB in Islamabad and was subsequently brought to Karachi to be produced before the accountability court. On Thursday, he was brought to the court premises in an armoured personnel carrier (APC) amid tight security, with large contingents of police and Rangers personnel deployed in and around the court premises to mitigate any untoward situation.
A large number of provincial ministers and leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), including Saeed Ghani, Nasir Hussain Shah, Shehla Raza, Imtiaz Sheikh, Manzoor Wassan, Waqar Mehdi, Rashid Rabbani, former chief minister Qaim Ali Shah, Najmi Alam and Faisal Sheikh, had reached the accountability court before Durrani's arrival. Party workers shouted slogans against Prime Minister Imran Khan and the NAB.
Incensed by Durrani’s arrest, PPP lashes out at Centre
Court proceedings
As the hearing started, the NAB's investigation officer (IO) requested the administrative judge of the accountability court for a 14-day physical remand. The IO said that this was the first remand, which is why it was being requested for 14 days. There could also be a 90-day remand according to the NAB's law, he added.
Durrani was represented by his counsels, Abid Zuberi, Shahab Sarki and Khuwaja Naveed. Sarki argued that Durrani had already provided the information sought by the NAB. He added that women were ill-treated by the NAB personnel during a raid at Durrani's house on Wednesday. "The way action was taken inside the house is illegal and inappropriate," he said, adding that Durrani was unwell and yet he wasn't allowed to take his medication.
"Agha Siraj Durrani was completely cooperating with the NAB. Their behaviour during the raid at the house was totally despicable," he added.
Sarki requested the court to take notice of the matter. Meanwhile, Durrani requested that he be allowed to meet the family and medical facilities be provided to him. Khwaja Naveed argued that the provision of homemade food should also be allowed to Durrani.
The NAB IO responded that doctors were available to the NAB and the accused had undergone a medical checkup. The court remarked that a plea related to the provision of medicines and homemade food should be filed separately and the court would decide the pleas in accordance with the law. It added that pleas related to the personnel's misbehaviour with the family should also be filed.
After hearing the arguments, the court accepted Durrani's pleas for homemade food, medicines and permission to meet the family after hearing the arguments. The administrative judge also accepted the NAB's plea, handing over Durrani to the bureau for eight days.
Pandemonium
As the judge stood up to leave, party workers and Durrani's lawyers encircled him, saying they wouldn't allow the NAB to take him into custody until the court issued the written orders.
The NAB prosecutor said that Durrani had already been given enough time to meet the party workers. Amid all this, Durrani's counsels and the NAB's prosecutors also got into a heated debate. The NAB's prosecutor said that the court had given the order and that they could take the accused with them. At this, Durrani's counsels requested in a softer tone to be granted five more minutes with their client. The NAB officials agreed.
The Spy Chronicles: Defence ministry raises objection on removal of Durani's name from ECL
Media talk
In an informal conversation with the media outside the courtroom, Durrani said that the NAB had sought some information from him, which he had already provided. He added that the bureau should have summoned him if they needed to speak with him, instead of arresting him. "How should I have cooperated with them, when I haven't even been summoned for an inquiry?" he questioned.
For their part, the NAB claims that they had summoned Durrani at least three times, but he had failed to show up.
PPP leaders' stance
Meanwhile, PPP leaders again termed Durrani's arrest an undemocratic step, akin to taking revenge from the party. They declared the NAB an instrument used by the PTI and PM Imran Khan.
Party leader Rashid Rabbani told the media that the PPP believed in democratic struggle would continue its efforts for democracy and the Constitution of Pakistan. We also fought against dictatorship, he said.
According to Rabbani, Durrani's family was confined for six hours were disrespected by the NAB. He added that Durrani had gone to Islamabad to attend a wedding ceremony, from where he was arrested. "No speaker in any democratic government has been treated like this," he said, adding that the PPP was being targeted for revenge.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 22nd, 2019.
An accountability court handed over on Thursday the Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on physical remand till March 1 for interrogation relating to allegations of accumulation of assets beyond means and irregularities in the construction of MPAs' Hostel in Karachi.
Durrani was arrested a day earlier by the NAB in Islamabad and was subsequently brought to Karachi to be produced before the accountability court. On Thursday, he was brought to the court premises in an armoured personnel carrier (APC) amid tight security, with large contingents of police and Rangers personnel deployed in and around the court premises to mitigate any untoward situation.
A large number of provincial ministers and leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), including Saeed Ghani, Nasir Hussain Shah, Shehla Raza, Imtiaz Sheikh, Manzoor Wassan, Waqar Mehdi, Rashid Rabbani, former chief minister Qaim Ali Shah, Najmi Alam and Faisal Sheikh, had reached the accountability court before Durrani's arrival. Party workers shouted slogans against Prime Minister Imran Khan and the NAB.
Incensed by Durrani’s arrest, PPP lashes out at Centre
Court proceedings
As the hearing started, the NAB's investigation officer (IO) requested the administrative judge of the accountability court for a 14-day physical remand. The IO said that this was the first remand, which is why it was being requested for 14 days. There could also be a 90-day remand according to the NAB's law, he added.
Durrani was represented by his counsels, Abid Zuberi, Shahab Sarki and Khuwaja Naveed. Sarki argued that Durrani had already provided the information sought by the NAB. He added that women were ill-treated by the NAB personnel during a raid at Durrani's house on Wednesday. "The way action was taken inside the house is illegal and inappropriate," he said, adding that Durrani was unwell and yet he wasn't allowed to take his medication.
"Agha Siraj Durrani was completely cooperating with the NAB. Their behaviour during the raid at the house was totally despicable," he added.
Sarki requested the court to take notice of the matter. Meanwhile, Durrani requested that he be allowed to meet the family and medical facilities be provided to him. Khwaja Naveed argued that the provision of homemade food should also be allowed to Durrani.
The NAB IO responded that doctors were available to the NAB and the accused had undergone a medical checkup. The court remarked that a plea related to the provision of medicines and homemade food should be filed separately and the court would decide the pleas in accordance with the law. It added that pleas related to the personnel's misbehaviour with the family should also be filed.
After hearing the arguments, the court accepted Durrani's pleas for homemade food, medicines and permission to meet the family after hearing the arguments. The administrative judge also accepted the NAB's plea, handing over Durrani to the bureau for eight days.
Pandemonium
As the judge stood up to leave, party workers and Durrani's lawyers encircled him, saying they wouldn't allow the NAB to take him into custody until the court issued the written orders.
The NAB prosecutor said that Durrani had already been given enough time to meet the party workers. Amid all this, Durrani's counsels and the NAB's prosecutors also got into a heated debate. The NAB's prosecutor said that the court had given the order and that they could take the accused with them. At this, Durrani's counsels requested in a softer tone to be granted five more minutes with their client. The NAB officials agreed.
The Spy Chronicles: Defence ministry raises objection on removal of Durani's name from ECL
Media talk
In an informal conversation with the media outside the courtroom, Durrani said that the NAB had sought some information from him, which he had already provided. He added that the bureau should have summoned him if they needed to speak with him, instead of arresting him. "How should I have cooperated with them, when I haven't even been summoned for an inquiry?" he questioned.
For their part, the NAB claims that they had summoned Durrani at least three times, but he had failed to show up.
PPP leaders' stance
Meanwhile, PPP leaders again termed Durrani's arrest an undemocratic step, akin to taking revenge from the party. They declared the NAB an instrument used by the PTI and PM Imran Khan.
Party leader Rashid Rabbani told the media that the PPP believed in democratic struggle would continue its efforts for democracy and the Constitution of Pakistan. We also fought against dictatorship, he said.
According to Rabbani, Durrani's family was confined for six hours were disrespected by the NAB. He added that Durrani had gone to Islamabad to attend a wedding ceremony, from where he was arrested. "No speaker in any democratic government has been treated like this," he said, adding that the PPP was being targeted for revenge.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 22nd, 2019.