SHC tells law minister to record comments, provide documents to NAB

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday directed the provincial law minister, Ziaul Hasan Lanjar, to record his statement with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and provide the relevant documents wanted by the anti-graft body for the ongoing corruption probe against the minister.

At the hearing of the minister’s bail before arrest petition submitted in relation to the NAB’s call-up notice, the anti-graft body’s counsel submitted that the petitioner had recorded his statement but did not provide complete details of his assets after 2008.  

The NAB counsel submitted that Lanjar’s assets had increased after 2008 and he had been asked to provide details of his earnings as a practicing lawyer. Adjourning the hearing till October 11, the court directed the minister to record his statement and provide relevant details to NAB at the earliest.

The court took exception over the absence of the investigation officer and also directed the NAB director general to appear with land records of a Hyderabad housing society embroiled in a corruption case. The court also directed the NAB chief to explain the delay in pending inquiries.

On August 22, the provincial government had challenged the SHC’s August 16 decision allowing NAB to complete all its ongoing enquiries and the accountability courts to continue to see to the references brought to them. Advocate General Zamir Ghumro had submitted a review application to a full SHC bench hearing petitions of opposition parties against the Pakistan Peoples Party’s controversial law to repeal the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999.

Ghumro said the SHC was not justified in passing the impugned order that had the effect of suspending the NAO repeal act, as its jurisdiction was not vested in the high court. He said the operation and effect of the repeal act could not be suspended without determining the constitutionality or otherwise of the act, and without issuing a notice to the AG or any other government representative.

NAB had also filed its comments on the petition, saying that to curtail NAO’s working, PPP lawmakers had introduced the impugned repeal act, which was ultra vires the constitution and liable to be struck down.

The watchdog also filed a detailed list of members of the provincial assembly, senior bureaucrats, former lawmakers and retired government officers facing the watchdog’s mega corruption cases: 19 former and present MPAs are facing enquiries and two each investigations and trial in accountability courts.

NAB identified ministers Gian Chan Israni, Dost Mohammad and Ziaul Hasan Lanjar, MPAs Mohammad Ali Malkani, Nawab Taimur Talpur, Dr Abdul Sattar Rajper and Haji Abdul Rauf Khoso, former MPAs Nasarullah Baloch, Ghulam Qadir Palejo and Ejaz Shah Sherazi, and former ministers Rauf Siddiqui, Adil Siddiqui and Syed Mustafa Kamal facing enquiries.