ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a plea by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to allow it to take into custody Captain (retired) Safdar who had been granted bail before arrest by the accountability court.

Chief Justice Pakistan (CJP) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar observed that Captain Safdar’s conduct is open to all as he is appearing before the court.

He further said that the High Court has already given its verdict on NAB’s plea then why should SC intervene. A three-member bench of SC headed by CJP heard the case.

During the Court proceeding, CJP inquired from the counsel NAB that who is Captain Safdar (R) upon which counsel NAB said that the one, against whom Accountability Court (AC) is hearing a case in Avenfield Reference. The AC summoned him on April 19, 2018, but he failed to appear.

The NAB counsel further said that Captain Safdar was abroad while former prime minister Nawaz Sharif appeared before the court on October 12. Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz and Marriyum Nawaz also failed to appear.

The counsel for NAB said that the problem was not about appearance before the court but non-bailable warrants.

Upon which the CJP decreed that the AC has released Captain Safdar (R) after surety bonds and he was not fleeing the court hearings.

After completing the arguments, the apex court rejected the NAB’s plea.