SHC tells IGP, NAB chief to file reports on Ghauri’s pending cases

Karachi: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday again directed the provincial chiefs of the police department and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file their comprehensive statements on the FIRs or inquiries pending against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) former senator Babar Ghauri.

Hearing Ghauri’s petition seeking details of the pending cases, an SHC division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha took exception to the non-compliance of the inspector general of police (IGP) and the NAB director general with the court’s orders.

The IGP appeared in person and sought further time to file a complete list of the inquiries, investigations and FIRs against the petitioner in a tabulated form under his signature. The court said the NAB DG had again sought further time to gather information about the pending cases, which was completely unjustified because the last order had been passed over six months ago.

By way of indulgence, the court gave the NAB special prosecutor a last chance to file a list of such matters that are outstanding against the petitioner throughout Pakistan, and at least in Sindh, on the next date of hearing.

The court said the NAB chief must appear before the court on the next date of hearing. The court also directed the federal law officer to submit the details of the inquiries, investigations and FIRs pending against the petitioner by December 22.

Ghauri had moved the court asking that the details of the cases pending against him be brought before the court of the law. His counsel said his client feared that when he returned to Pakistan, he would be arrested again on the basis of some unknown inquiries.

The counsel requested the court to order NAB and the federal and provincial governments to tell the court if any inquiries or cases were pending against him so that he might get protective or transitory bail prior to his return to the country.

Ghauri, who was the federal minister for ports & shipping and a senator during the Pakistan Peoples Party’s former coalition government, has been facing cases before an anti-terrorism court on charges of laundering money and providing funds for terrorism to the MQM’s London faction, and making illegal appointments in the Karachi Port Trust.

The petitioner’s counsel had earlier said his client had been granted transitory protective bail in two criminal cases pending against him to surrender before the trial courts, but he was booked in another case upon his arrival in Karachi.