SHC bars NAB from action against KMC director

Court dismisses KMC director's pre-arrest bail plea

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) restrained the National Accountability Bureau on Wednesday from taking any legal action against Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) director Masood Alam, against whom the anti-graft watchdog intended to open an inquiry.

Moreover, the two-member bench, headed by SHC Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Shaikh and comprising Justice Omar Sial, dismissed Alam's pre-arrest bail plea.

The NAB prosecutor informed the court that approval for initiating an inquiry against Alam was sought from NAB headquarters in Islamabad, adding that the inquiry was being launched after they received a complaint about the KMC director transferring money out of the country.

Alam's counsel, on the other hand, claimed that immigration officials had stopped his client at the Karachi airport, restricting him from travelling abroad. He also filed Alam's pre-arrest bail plea, saying that his client now feared being arrested by NAB.

The court, however, rejected the bail plea, stating, "How can we grant him bail when even the approval for the inquiry has not been sought?"

It also restricted NAB officials from taking any legal action against Alam, directing them to issue a call-up notice to Alam before initiating the inquiry.

Stay order issued

A bench comprising Justice Nadeem Akhtar and Justice Adnanul Karim Memon issued a stay order on appointments made in Pakistan Railways via lucky draw on posts of Grade-1 to Grade-5.

During the hearing of a plea challenging the appointments, the Pakistan Railways Employees Union's counsel informed the court that the railway department had published an advertisement, seeking candidates for appointments. He said that the department had decided to appoint candidates obtaining equal marks, through a lucky draw, "even when this was against the law."

The court issued a stay order on the appointments, as well as notices to the parties, seeking their replies on the plea within a month.

Extension granted

At another hearing, the bench headed by Justice Shaikh granted a month's extension to the NAB for producing evidence against former minister Jam Khan Shoro and 18 others nominated in references pertaining to illegal allotment of land and accumulation of assets beyond means. The court also extended the interim bails of the accused till April 2.

The court asked the NAB counsel to submit evidence against the accused, for which the counsel sought more time.

The court granted a month's extension to the anti-graft watchdog to submit the evidence and extended the interim bails of all the accused nominated in the references till April 2.

Shoro, along with 18 others nominated in the reference, appeared before the court at the hearing.

According to NAB, Shoro and other accused have been involved in accumulating wealth beyond their income and illegally allotting land for a CNG station in Qasimabad, Hyderabad. This illegal allotment caused a loss of Rs180 million to the national exchequer, as per the anti-graft watchdog.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 27^th, 2020.