Petition against Jang-Geo Editor-in-Chief’s arrest: LHC asks NAB to submit clause-wise response

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday to submit clause-wise response in the plea against the arrest of Jang-Geo Media Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman (MSR) in relation to a three-decade-old private property matter.

MSR’s wife, Shahina Shakil, had moved the LHC on March 16 through Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan challenging the detention. A two-member bench under Justice Naeem Ahmed resumed the hearing in the case on Thursday, where Barrister Ahsan appeared to present arguments. The court asked the NAB to present reasons behind the arrest, clause by clause, in reference to the plea.

Aitzaz Ahsan told the court the NAB violated its policy by arresting MSR. He added the NAB had itself decided not to summon businessmen. To that, the court interjected and asked the counsel whether MSR was a businessman. It also asked if a journalist could be considered a businessman.

Ahsan told the court MSR was a businessman and running a very large group. He added a constitutional petition for the release of MSR had also been filed with the court, adding his client was under illegal detention.

The prosecutor told the court the case was at an inquiry stage and the bureau got his remand a day earlier. The court asked NAB’s lawyer to submit a copy of the remand.

During the proceedings, the judge enquired about the extension of MSR’s remand by an accountability court on Wednesday. “If the accountability court in the case has extended the remand then what is left?” the court said to the NAB prosecutor. To which, the prosecutor responded the plea against the extension in remand was also queued up to be heard.

The LHC then said it was also going to hear the plea against the extension, after which it briefly adjourned the hearing for a while. After resuming the hearing, the LHC directed the remand order by the accountability court be clubbed with the petition against the arrest. The LHC, subsequently, adjourned the case until next Monday.

The NAB chairman, a director-general and judges of the accountability court, along with others, have been named in the petition. The petition is based on the assertion the NAB violated the PTI government’s own 2019 businessmen policy by arresting MSR. “In the [accountability court] order that handed MSR over to authorities on physical remand, the judge did not explain the grounds [of doing so],” the petition further notes.

The NAB had on March 12 arrested MSR in connection with property allegedly bought illegally from a government entity more than 34 years ago. According to a Jang Group spokesperson, the property was in fact bought from a private party 34 years ago and all evidence of that was given to the NAB and legal requirements fulfilled, such as duty and taxes.