Court extends bail of suspects facing foreign funding charges

Judge seeks final arguments from FIA prosecutor in next hearing

LAHORE:

A special court dealing with offences in banks on Tuesday extended the interim bail of three accused involved in a case of foreign funding, registered against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore, till January 23.

The court sought final arguments from the FIA prosecutor on the next date of hearing. Banking Offence Court Judge Aslam Gondal heard the pre-arrest bail applications of the accused, Tariq Shafi, Mubashir Ahmad and Bank officer Kaka Khel.

Accused Tariq Shafi and Kaka Khel appeared before the court on expiry of their interim bail term, and got their attendance marked, during the proceedings. However, accused Mubashir Ahmad did not show up.

Mubashir's counsel submitted an exemption application, and pleaded with the court to exempt his client from personal appearance for one day.

The court expressed serious annoyance, saying that the accused did not appear at the previous hearing as well.

The court remarked that if the accused failed to appear at the next date of hearing, his bail application would be dismissed.

The FIA prosecutor sought time for submitting arguments on the bail application of the accused. The court allowed the request and adjourned hearing till January 23.

The FIA alleged that Tariq Shafi got registered a bogus trust to give an impression that same was part of the PTI in the name of "The Insaf Trust", as chairman with Ashiq Hussain Qureshi as its deputy chairman, Hamid Zaman as general secretary, Manzoor Ahmad Chaudhry and Mubashir Ahmad as trustees.

It said the funding received in the trust was used for political campaigns of the PTI.

The agency further alleged that the suspects and Arif Naqvi of Abraaj Group, in collusion with the PTI leadership and others, committed a fraud.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2023.