LAHORE - A Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench on Monday adjourned the hearing of a bail petition filed by Jang/Geo Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in illegal plot allotment case till July 7. The bench comprising Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem heard the post arrest bail petition filed by Mir Shakil. At the start of proceedings, National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Prosecutor Syed Faisal Raza Bukhari stated that the NAB’s response had been submitted, in response to a court query. To which, Mir Shakil ‘s counsel submitted that as per NAB response, investigations had been completed from his client. At this stage, Justice Rizvi observed that copy of NAB’s response was missing in the file of his fellow judge. The court would conduct further the hearing of the matter after filing of the reply by the bureau in high court office, he added. He asked why the bureau did not submit two copies of its reply.
To which, NAB prosecutor told that four set of copies were submitted.
If four set of copies were not submitted then the high court office did not receive the reply, he added.
In response to a court query, Mir Shakil’s counsel submitted that his client had been shifted to jail on judicial remand. He further submitted that the bureau had recorded statements of various present and retired
officers Lahore Development Authority after April 7.
He submitted that the bureau had failed to recover anything from his client during the custody, whereas, all relevant record had been
given to it.
He pleaded with the court for granting benefit of bail to his client.
Subsequently, the bench directed Registrar Office to annex the copy of NAB’s reply with file while adjourning hearing till July 7. The court also directed NAB prosecutor for submitting copies of complete reply
by the next date of hearing.
It is pertinent to mention here that LHC had previously rejected two petitions filed by Mir Shakil and his wife challenging arrest and physical remand of Mir Shakil.
The NAB had alleged that Mir Shakil obtained illegal exemption of 54 plots of one-kanal each in Johar Town Lahore, with the connivance of Nawaz Sharif, the then Chief Minister of Punjab, in violation of the exemption
policy in 1986.