They were allegedly responsible for the disappearance of three containers carrying goods for Nato forces stationed in Afghanistan. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
Justice Yahya Afridi dismissed an application filed against the bails obtained by Irfan Javed and Zahid Hussain, both employees of JJ enterprises. The Customs department accused them of smuggling, theft and violation of Afghan transit trade rules. They were allegedly responsible for the disappearance of three containers carrying goods for NATO forces stationed in Afghanistan.
Ghulam Mohiuddin Malik, the counsel for the accused, said his clients were wrongly implicated in the case and had not violated any laws. He said their main task was to register containers in Karachi and transport them to Amangarh dry port in Nowshera. Malik added the two suspects did whatever was required by law and delivered the containers to their main port. He said if they went missing afterwards, his clients were not responsible.
After hearing the arguments, the court dismissed the bail cancellation application.
On March 28, 2012 while disposing of a missing containers case, a three-member Supreme Court bench headed by the then chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry directed the National Accountability Bureau to conduct a thorough investigation and provide the chance of a hearing to the accused. The SC had taken suo motu notice of 28,000 reportedly missing containers cases meant for NATO and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) stationed inside Afghanistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 14th, 2015.
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