LHC seeks report on NAB reference against Abdul Aleem Khan

NAB presents record of PTI leader’s offshore companies before court

LAHORE: A two-member bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) sought a report from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) director general by May 13 on whether or not a reference was being filed against former senior minister Abdul Aleem Khan.

Petitioner Aleem Khan, a PTI leader, had filed a bail petition in the LHC seeking bail. He had been charged with maintaining offshore companies and accumulating assets beyond his known means of income.

The former senior minister argued that there was no need to keep him in jail as the allegations levelled against him were false and had nothing to do with reality.

As proceedings commenced on Monday, NAB presented the record of Khan’s offshore companies before the bench, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi. The judge directed the authorities to make the records a part of the case.

Justice Sardar Muhammad Naeem, the second member of the bench, asked NAB officials about the status of the investigation. NAB officials replied that the probe was almost in its ‘final stage’.

The NAB lawyer told the court that an interim reference would be filed, adding the bureau would be requiring sufficient time frame for this purpose.

Justice Najafi asked NAB whether it had collected enough material against Khan. The bureau’s investigation officer told the court that they had collected sufficient and substantial material.

Petitioner Aleem Khan, in his bail petition, said all relevant records required by NAB were provided.

He reiterated that the allegations levelled by NAB were baseless. He said the other allegation related to the misuse of power was also forged.

He added NAB had hurled around 18 accusations, but not a single one had been established against him. He requested the court to grant him bail.

NAB arrested Khan on February 6 when he appeared before a combined investigation team. It that the then senior minister, being a public officeholder, acquired huge assets and established offshore companies that owned apartments and bank accounts.

It added his wealth was not in proportion with his known sources of income. The former senior minister has been on physical remand since his arrest.

In a previous talk with the media outside the court, the former senior minister said he had maintained that his hands were clean from the very first day.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2019.