NAB questioned about the sufficiency of evidence against former PTI minister. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE: A two-member bench of the Lahore High Court ordered NAB to present the copies of witness statements in the investigation against PTI leader Abdul Aleem Khan by May 15.
Aleem Khan applied for bail in cases which accused him of accumulating assets beyond his known means of income and maintaining offshore companies. He said the allegations were completely fabricated and had nothing to do with reality.
As proceedings commenced on Monday, the NAB prosecutor told the court that the bureau had written to the UAE and England authorites to provide the records of the offshore companies. He said NAB would be able to file a reference as soon as replies were received.
Responding to a query of the bench, which was headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, on whether the material available with NAB was insufficient to file a reference, the anti-graft watchdog’s prosecutor told the court that substantial evidence is available and is linked to other countries.
PTI's Aleem Khan arrested by NAB
The NAB investigation officer told the court that Abdul Aleem Khan had hidden the truth by mentioning land owned by him in his election nomination papers. He added the actual value of the said land was not mentioned either.
“Do you have any evidence against Aleem Khan?” asked Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem, another member of the bench. In reply, the NAB investigation officer told the court that land records had been collected by the department concerned. The bench fixed May 15 as the next date of hearing.
Petitioner Aleem Khan, in his bail petition, contended that there was no need to keep him in jail as the allegations against him were false.
He said all relevant records needed by NAB had been provided. He said the bureau’s other charge against him of misuse of power was also false. He said the graft watchdog had hurled as many as 18 accusations, but hadn’t even established a single one against him.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 14th, 2019.
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