PHC restrains NAB from arresting Muqam

PML-N former minister facing probe over allegations of possessing assets beyond means

PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court has restrained the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from arresting the PML-N’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa president former federal minister and adviser Ameer Muqam from possible arrest and directed the NAB authorities in this regard.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Musrat Hilali and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim heard the writ petition of Muqam, in which he stated that on the direction of the federal government the K-P president of the PML-N has been targeted by NAB in spite of the fact that he has regularly appeared in all summoned trials.

Barrister Mudasir Ameer representing Muqam informed the high court that his client feared that he might be arrested in a NAB case, though he had regularly appeared whenever summoned by an accountability court.

The prosecutor told the court that as per the Supreme Court’s direction, NAB informs a suspect 10 days before issuing an arrest warrant.

Commenting on the case the NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Azeem Dad informed the bench that NAB has not yet decided to arrest the former federal minister, nor have they tried to, but NAB would like to submit their reply into the court related to the former federal minister plea.

PHC then directed the NAB not to arrest the former federal minister in the case of amassing assets beyond his known sources of income and asked the NAB prosecutor general to submit their replies in the case. The case was adjourned until the next hearing.

No bar on promotion

Meanwhile, in another case, PHC directed the government not to halt the promotion or perks and privileges of government employees undergoing any inquiry by NAB.

A single-bench headed by Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth heard the writ petition of the Yasir Saleem Advocate on Wednesday in Peshawar.

In the detailed judgment of the petition, Justice Seth said that due to the NAB inquiry or trial, the government could neither stop the perks and privileges of any government servant nor keep them away from their due position.

The judgment further stated that in most of the NAB cases the government servants are proved innocent and set free without any charges.

However, having been blamed under false charges, these people were deprived of promotions, perks, and privileges and end up spending years knocking the doors of the courts for their dues and promotions.

The court also directed the provincial government to promote and arrange a provincial selection board for the applicant Muhammad Arif a deputy conservator of forest and promote him from grade 18 to 19.

Arif was implicated in a NAB case but declared innocent afterward.

He had filed a plea in PHC seeking his dues and promotion from the K-P government.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2019.