KARACHI - The Sindh High Court on Thursday extended interim bail of former provincial minister for the law and prisons department, Ziaul Hasan Lanjar, and sought inquiry report, until January 17.
A SHC bench headed Justice Iqbal Kalhoro was hearing a bail plea filed by ex minister belonging to Pakistan People Party, Zia Lanjar, wherein Shahdat Awan Advocate appeared before the bench and informed that the petitioner’s lawyer, Farooq H Naek was out of the city, he requested to adjourn the hearing and extend his interim bail.
Responding to the bench, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) official informed that an inquiry against the petitioner was underway and would be completed very soon. The court directed NAB to conclude the inquiry and submit the report in the next hearing.
The ex-provincial minister, Ziaul Hasan Lanjar had obtained interim bail in connection with a corruption reference.
The petitioner is facing corruption charges by NAB and is under trial by accountability court.
According to NAB, Lanjar’s assets had been increased considerably after 2008 and he is failed to justify his asserts.
Beside, the Sindh High Court (SHC) extended pre-arrest bail of former provincial minister for local government Jam Khan Shoro, till December 22.
NAB prosecution appeared before the court and informed that as many as three corruption inquires have been initiated against the ex provincial minister Jam Khan Shoro, he added that the ex minister was allegedly involved auctioning of government’s lands illegally and without fulfilling the required formalities, and he had transferred the government’s land to his front-man’s name.
NAB prosecution also submitted that the minister was also allegedly involved in collecting bribes in district municipal corporation of Malir through his front-man.
The former PPP minister was booked for alleged embezzlement, misuse of authority and awarding illegal tenders.
Earlier, Shoro’s counsel had submitted that his client had not been informed about the details of the charges against him.
The applicant’s lawyer had also stated the anti-graft body wanted to take his client into custody. “We were issued a call-up notice in June,” he said. To this, NAB officials said, “Shoro was involved in corruption in the allotment of KDA plots.”
The court then asked NAB officials, “If you have arrest warrants then will he be detained from the court premises?” The SHC then granted protective bail to the ex-minister and asked him to furnish bail bonds worth Rs1 million.
Earlier, the applicant had approached the SHC for protective bail after the NAB had issued his arrest warrants for alleged corruption.