Asset declaration: SHC allows bail to Dr Asim’s relative in remittances inquiry

Petitioner is also an official of the National Bank of Pakistan

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) granted on Wednesday interim pre-arrest bail to the senior executive vice-president of the National Bank of Pakistan's (NBP) Remittances Branch in connection with a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) inquiry into remittances availed by former president Asif Ali Zardari's close aide, Dr Asim Hussain.

Headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, the bench gave bail to Khalid Bin Shaheen in the sum of Rs500,000 till November 13.

Shaheen had approached the court seeking the quashing of the call-up notices and grant of bail before arrest. The petitioner said he is a banker and relative of Dr Asim Hussain, the former federal minister for petroleum, who is currently under custody of the Sindh Rangers.

Shaheen said an officer of the NBP, who is authorised to coordinate with law enforcement agencies, summoned him to his office on October 1, where the Rangers officials questioned him about the details of remittances availed by Dr Asim.

He told the law enforcers that he had no knowledge of Dr Asim's remittances or properties. On October 19, the Rangers officials summoned him to their office, where he was once again questioned for three hours about the remittances and properties of the former petroleum minister on camera. The petitioner said that despite telling the law enforcers that Dr Asim had not remitted a single penny through NBP's exchange company, he received a call up notice from NAB on October 23.

Advocate Haseeb Jamali said NAB served his client a notice without disclosing the particulars of the inquiry, therefore, he apprehends his arrest. He added that the petitioner is also receiving calls from law enforcement agencies who may take him into custody and shift him to an undisclosed location.

Without touching the merits of the case, the SHC bench granted interim bail before arrest to the petitioner in the sum of Rs500,000 till November 13. The court also directed NAB, the Federal Investigation Agency and Rangers authorities to "conduct themselves in accordance with the law". Meanwhile, notices were also issued to the deputy attorney-general and NAB prosecutor-general to file their comments by the next date of hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2015.