SUKKUR: An accountability court in Sukkur on Tuesday extended the physical remand of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Khursheed Shah by six more days in a case relating to assets beyond means of income.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had presented Shah in the accountability court upon the completion of his remand.
During today’s hearing, Shah told the court that if he were free, he would have provided NAB with all the evidence it needed.
To this, the judge told the veteran PPP leader that he does not have the authority to grant him bail. “To get bail you have to go through the proper forums,” the judge told Shah.
“I am an honourable politician. I paid Rs2.7million in taxes this year and the children paid separate tax,” Shah told the court.
The veteran politician further told the court that he had a heart problem and that his health might worsen. “At the time my health deteriorated but I did not tell anyone about it,” he said. “I have tears in my eyes today because of the baseless allegations against me,” Shah said. To this, the judge said, “Shah sahib, you made one mistake, you did not repeal the NAB law.”
Shah’s lawyer told the court that despite orders, his client was not sent for a check-up.
To this, the NAB lawyer told the court that Shah’s check-ups were done on a daily basis by a NAB doctor who had recommended that the PPP leaders did not need a special hospital for treatment.
The NAB lawyer further told the court that when the PPP leader was asked what his family’s source of income was, he said to ask his family. “When asked where the Rs300million came from did, he [Shah] did not have an answer. There was even a transaction of Rs280milion done, but Shah has not provided us [NAB] with any money trail,” he said.
The accountability watchdog’s lawyer added that Shah owned a house worth Rs250million, along with properties worth millions in Sukkur and Karachi. The NAB lawyer continued and said Shah had public properties and he must answer for them.
“We have three bank accounts belonging to Shah with Rs280million in them,” the NAB lawyer told the court.
The accountability watchdog then requested for a 15-day extension of the physical remand PPP leader, however, the court only extended the physical remand for six days, and ordered Shah be presented on October 21.
