NAB arrests local govt secretary after SHC rejects bail

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Sindh local government secretary Roshan Ali Sheikh, former Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) administrator Lala Fazlur Rehman and former land department director Mohammad Waseem on Monday after the Sindh High Court (SHC) rejecting their interim bail plea.

The two-member bench, comprising Justice KK Agha and Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi, in its 18-page written order, stated that Sheikh and Rehman had misused their powers as city district government executive officer and district coordination officer, respectively.

The order added that due to the accused's coordinated actions, the national exchequer had suffered losses, while there was no apparent mal-intent in the NAB's stance in the case.

According to the NAB prosecutor, a reference had been filed against Sheikh and others accused in the case, adding that with the connivance of the KMC and the Board of Revenue, 265 acres of land, allocated for a slaughterhouse in Landhi, was allotted illegally to a small cottage industry.

The court rejected the bail pleas of Sheikh, Rehman and Waseem, as well as Nadeem Qadir Khokhar, Sabaul Islam, Farrukh Jameel Siddiqi, Sohail Yar Khan and Ahmed Ali, and directed the police officials to arrest them.

The local government secretary was present in the courtroom for around three to four hours, as two NAB teams stood by in order to arrest him. After consulting his lawyers, Sheikh surrendered to the NAB officials.

According to NAB officials, Sheikh, Rehman and Waseem would be presented before an accountability court today (Tuesday).

Meanwhile, the court released Muttahida Qaumi Movement leaders Saif Abbas, Mohammad Shoaib and Shaukat Jokhio on bail in the case. The accused had been in jail for the past two years.