LAHORE - The Lahore High Court Monday gave another chance to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to submit reply on bail application filed by PPP leader Qasim Zia allegedly involved in stock exchange corruption scandal.
At the outset of the hearing, the NAB counsel sought time to complete the investigate and submit reply. The court accepted his plea and gave the NAB another chance for filing reply and adjourned further hearing until Sept 10.
Qasim Zia filed his bail application through Barrister Ali Zafar and pleaded that NAB officials intentionally implicated him the said fraud case to which he had nothing to do. He submitted that the company committed fraud with the people and he had already left the company. He further stated that NAB officials got his 16-day physical remand but could not find his involvement in the fraud case. The petitioner prayed the court to order his release on bail.
Earlier, an accountability court sent him to jail on 14-day judicial remand and turned the request of NAB officials regarding his physical remand. On August 7, NAB authorities arrested Qasim Zia. Previously, NAB officials did not allow his son and the legal team of Qasim Zia to meet him in the lock up despite that the court had ordered the officials to arrange his meeting with his family and legal team fighting his case.
Elected twice from Faisalabad’s constituency PP-59, Zia served as a member of Punjab Assembly from 2002-2007, and from 2008-2013.
He functioned as Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly during his earlier term from 2002-2007.
Zia was appointed president of Pakistan Hockey Federation in 2008 and served as the federation's chief till 2013. He is an Olympic Gold Medalist in the field of hockey, and also remained a member of the Pakistan's national hockey team from 1980-87.