KARACHI: The Natio­nal Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday declared untraceable 11 suspects, including Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani’s wife and five children, in a case pertaining to alleged accumulation of assets worth Rs1.1 billion beyond his known sources of income.

Mr Durrani, a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau in an Islamabad hotel on Feb 20 for investigation into his alleged movable and immovable assets beyond his known sources of income, making 352 illegal appointments, embezzlement of public funds etc.

On Tuesday, investigating officer Asif Raza filed a compliance report stating that non-bailable warrants reissued by the court on the last date could not be executed on 11 suspects, including Mr Durrani’s wife and children.

Earlier, Mr Durrani was produced from prison while seven others — including Tufail Ahmed Sheikh, Mitha Khan, Gulzar Ahmed, Shamshad Khatoon, Agha Masihuddin Khan Durrani and Zulfiqar Ali Dahar — appeared before the court on bail.

The IO stated in the report that the court’s arrest warrants could not be served on the family members of the detained PA speaker, as they had allegedly absconded to the United States of America.

He said that according to their travel history obtained from the Federal Investigation Agency, Naheed Durrani and her daughters Sonya, Shahana and Sara had departed for the US through Jinnah International Airport on March 8 and had not returned to Pakistan.

Mr Durrani’s son Agha Shahbaz left for the United Arab Emirates on Feb 18 while his daughter Sanam left for the US on Sept 2, 2018, the report said.

Special public prosecutor Shahbaz Sahotra maintained that on the request of the IO Nadra had blocked CNICs of the alleged absconders.

In compliance with the court’s directives, IO Raza personally visited Khairpur and Shikarpur to execute the arrest warrants on remaining five nominated suspects — including Syed Mohammad Shah, Gulbahar Lohar Baloch, Shakeel Ahmed Soomro, Ghulam Murtaza and Munawwar Ali — but their whereabouts could not be traced, the prosecutor added.

Therefore, he requested the court to accept the compliance report and pass appropriate orders in this regard.

The link judge Aaliya Latif Unnar took the report on record and adjourned hearing till Nov 19.

IS suspects’ cases

Taking exception to the absence of the investigating officers and witnesses, an antiterrorism court on Monday once again summoned them to testify in cases against two alleged Islamic State-inspired suspects pertaining to an attack on a navy officer, a bomb blast and a policeman’s murder.

Suspects Saad Aziz alias Tin Tin and Tahir Hussain Minhas alias Saeen — said to be inspired by IS — have been charged in the cases.

When the matter came up before the ATC-XVII for recording testimonies of prosecution witnesses, the IOs failed to produce witnesses in court. The IOs were also absent.

The court took exception to the absence of IOs and witnesses and fixed the matter for Nov 9.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2019