Shahzad Ahmad
Lahore - Former Punjab University vice chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran and co-accused were released from Camp Jail in illegal appointments case on Saturday.
On his release, the former PU vice chancellor was welcomed by his wife and students who were awaiting him outside the jail. Talking to media, Dr Kamran said that the case against him was bogus. He said that he had not done anything wrong and that was why he had been released.
The National Accountancy Bureau (NAB) had arrested the four professors on October 13 accusing them of making illegal appointments and misusing their powers.
Dr Kamran is also accused of illegally appointing his second wife, Dr Shazia Qureshi, as principal of the Punjab University Law College.
Earlier, Special Judge Accountability Courts Najamul Hassan ordered his release following a High Court order. Last Wednesday, the LHC had granted bail to Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, former registrar Prof Dr Liaqat Ali, additional registrars Prof Dr Aurangzaib Alamgir and Prof Dr Kamran Abid in the case.
The two-judge bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi had allowed the bails to the petitioners and directed each of them to deposit two surety bonds of Rs500,000 each.
During the proceedings on the bail petitions, the bench had reprimanded the NAB officials for handcuffing the professors during their appearance before the accountability court. The NAB prosecutor told the bench that the bureau had already tendered an apology before the Supreme Court on the matter.
The petitioners’ counsels argued that the allegations against their clients were concocted, false and baseless. They said all the appointments in the Punjab University had been made strictly in accordance with law and due approval of the syndicate. They said that a sitting LHC judge and a Punjab Assembly’s member were permanent part of the syndicate. Therefore, there could be no possibility of any illegal act in the university, they added. They requested the court to release their clients on bail.
However, the NAB official though failed to give satisfactory answers to queries of the bench, opposed the bail petitions. After hearing both sides, the bench granted bail to the petitioners and issued their release orders.
Taking suo motu notice of handcuffing the professors by NAB during their court appearance, the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar had reprimanded NAB Lahore Director General Saleem Shahzad for the act. The DG then issued an apology before the court and conceded that it had been a mistake to handcuff the teachers.