LAHORE - The National Accountability Bureau has denied the family and legal team of Qasim Zia a meeting with the PPP leader held for corruption in Stock Exchange, despite a NAB court had earlier allowed the application of his son to meet his father.
Usman Qasim had filed the petition in the NAB courts, asking directives for NAB officials to allow a meeting with his father, Qasim Zia. According to Usman, Mr Zia has nothing to do with the allegations levelled against him as the case is politically initiated. He requested the court to for a meeting with his father besides his release.
After hearing the arguments of the petitioner’s counsel, the court allowed the petition and directed the NAB investigation officer Shaharyar Jamil to arrange the meetings. However, when the petitioner got the certified copy of the order and reached at the lock up at NAB complex, Multan road, the investigator denied him access to this father, violating the court order.
Earlier, the Lahore High Court had dismissed Usman Qasim’s petition after he withdrew it following the permission from NAB court. At this, a division bench comprising Justice Mazhar Iqbal Sidhu and Justice Mrs Irum Sajad Gull dismissed the petition. The petitioner, through his counsel, told the LHC bench that NAB had taken his father Qasim Zia into custody despite the fact that he was cooperating with the investigating team.
Mr Zia has nothing to do with the allegations levelled against him but unfortunately neither NAB allowed to meet his relatives and nor did they permit to hire counsel to plead his case in the courts, the counsel told this scribe.
When the court was told by the petitioner’s counsel that NAB allowed the doctor and family members to meet Mr Zia, and he wanted to withdraw his case, the bench dismissed the petition.
But the fact is that the family has still been unable to meet Qasim Zia.
NAB authorities arrested Qasim Zia on August 7. Elected 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.