NAB chief ordered to probe fake call-up notice

SHC seeks record of NAB inquiries over bail applications

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered on Tuesday the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman, Justice (Retd) Javed Iqbal, to investigate the fake call-up notice issued by NAB’s investigation officer, Gul Afridi.

A two-member bench, headed by the Chief Justice (CJ) Ahmed Ali Sheikh and comprising Justice Omar Sial, rejected the report submitted by the NAB Sindh director-general (DG). The CJ remarked that this matter should be investigated by the NAB chairman himself.

A citizen, Shamshad Ali, had filed a petition challenging a fake call-up he had received from an investigation officer of the NAB.

Justice Shaikh asked the provincial NAB chief, “NAB DG, are you witnessing what is happening here?’’ Expressing anger,Justice Shaikh remarked,”It shows that NAB does not maintain complete record of its works. Why should not we hold an inquiry into the fake call-up notice through NAB chairman?” Justice said.

“We give chance to NAB every time in every case to appear with full preparation but you can see its performance,” Justice Shaikh told NAB DG. He asked the official to visit the court regularly to see the performance of his officers. “We do not want to damage the reputation of any national institution,” the judge said.

NAB’s counsel maintained, “NAB has probed the matter and found that the notice was not issued by the NAB. However, a telephone call was made from registrar’s office of an accountability court in Hyderabad after the issuance of the call-up notice.”

According to the NAB report, an Investigation Officer (IO) was not authorised to directly issue a call-up notice to the accused person. The report also stated that the police was also probing it.

The court had summoned the NAB Sindh DG on Tuesday but he failed to satisfy the court. Expressing annoyance over the performance of NAB, the court ordered the NAB chairman to carry out an investigation.

Record sought

The same bench sought complete record of the NAB inquiries over the bail pleas filed by citizens and government officials.

Chief Justice expressed annoyance over the performance of NAB’s investigation officer. NAB’s prosecutor and investigation officers failed to satisfy the court.

The court questioned what they had found against the accused and which record they had taken under custody. Court ordered the investigation officer to give it in writing whatever they had taken in custody. Court remarked that it was observing their progress. Four prosecutors are present inside the court room but the results are zero. Court sought complete records of different NAB inquiries.

Relief declined

A divisional bench of SHC, comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Agha Faisal, refused to give interim relief to the drug manufacturing companies over their pleas filed against the raids of drug inspectors till the announcement of the verdict by Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) appellant.

The bench was hearing the pleas filed by drug manufacturing companies against the raids of drug inspectors over the arbitrary increase in the prices of medicines. The petitioners’ counsel argued that “the drug inspectors are seizing our stock. We have been restricted from the production of medicines also due to increase in the prices.”

Court asked the drug inspectors “are you carrying out the operation in Karachi?” The drug inspector informed the court that the companies have increased the prices illegally and the operation is going on all over the country. “The drug manufacturing companies increased the prices against the rules. The matter is under trial in the DRAP appellant also,” said the drug inspector.

The court remarked that the court will look into the matter once the decision is announced by the DRAP appellant. The court cannot restrain the inspectors from operations without hearing all the parties. It adjourned the hearing till an undecided date and refused to give interim relief to the drug manufacturing companies.

Milk prices

The court adjourned the hearing of a plea relating to milk prices till May 7. A two-member bench, comprising Justice Aqeel Abbasi and Justice Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan, was hearing the plea seeking the implementation of the rates of milk fixed earlier.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that the two-member-bench had ordered to fix the rate at Rs94 per litre as recommended by the government. However, the local administration was not making efforts to enforce the rates.

Contempt notice

Another bench of SHC issued notices to Karachi Development Authority (KDA) DG and others over the contempt of court pleas filed in the case of illegal occupation on 404 plots in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 6.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Aftab Gorar and Justice Amjad Ali Sahito, was hearing the pleas. The petitioner Talat Aijaz’s counsel argued that the officials were not entertaining their pleas despite judicial orders. “People related to land grabbing mafia come to bother us on daily basis. No officer from any department including KDA is ready to listen to our complaints,” said the counsel.

Court issued the contempt of court notices to KDA DG and others and sought replies from the authorities.

Cases details sought

The same bench sought complete details regarding all the cases registered against the Sheerazi brothers from Thatta.

The bench was hearing a plea related to the issue of registration of cases against the Sheerazi brothers. The petitioner’s counsel argued that more than 125 cases have been registered against the brothers since 2013 on a political basis. All these cases have proved to be false and baseless in the courts. The court should pass orders for the inquiry against the police officials who registered the false cases.

Sentence commuted

The SHC on Tuesday converted the death sentence into life term given to two convicts for the murder of four people.

The court was hearing the plea filed by convicts, Nazeer and Dilawar against death sentence and commuted their sentence into life imprisonment. The decision on the plea came after 22 years.

The anti-terrorism court had awarded death sentence to Nazeer and Dilawar. However, three other accused, Abdul Jalil, Ali Asghar and Ghulam Ali were awarded life term.

The convicted accused had killed four people, Sultan, Ghulam Mohammad, Dost Ali and Gul Hassan in 1997 over an irrigation water dispute in Badin.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2019.