LAHORE: A division bench of the Lahore High Court has restrained the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from arresting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Abdul Aleem Khan without warrants duly issued by a competent court.
The bench also directed Abdul Aleem Khan to cooperate with the NAB in investigation with observation that he could approach the court again against any illegal action.
Counsel for petitioner Muhammad Azhar Siddique told the division bench that a coordinator of National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had been filing “frivolous” applications with the NAB against the petitioner.
He pointed out that the NAB had thrice conducted an inquiry against the petitioner’s housing scheme ‘River Edge’ but each time it closed them after finding no evidence. He said the law did not allow the bureau to open the inquiry earlier closed three times.
He alleged that the NAB had violated the stay order and continued the inquiry against the petitioner.
A NAB prosecutor said that Khan was only asked to furnish some necessary documents required by an investigating team. He also said that no law had been violated in seeking the required documents from the petitioner.
Separately, Justice Ayesha A Malik of the Lahore High Court on Thursday directed the Punjab cane commissioner to ensure recovery of farmers’ dues pending with three sugar mills.
The judge also directed the LHC deputy registrar (judicial) to release Rs 350 million earlier deposited by Brothers Sugar Mills to make payments of the farmers.
