KARACHI, April 21: The Sindh High Court allowed the federation and the National Accountability Bureau another two weeks to withdraw under the National Reconciliation Ordinance the last corruption complaint against PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari pending in a Swiss court.
Mr Zardari had moved the court for termination of all accountability references and proceedings within and outside the country following the promulgation of the NRO in October 2007. Attorney-General Malik Muhammad Qayyum and NAB prosecutor-general Danishwar Malik appeared in response to court notices and assured a bench comprising Justices Mrs Qaiser Iqbal and Syed Mahmood Alam Rizvi that the provisions of the ordinance would be implemented in letter and spirit. The Swiss and British authorities had been approached to drop their proceedings on requests made by the NAB or the Pakistan government earlier.
Deputy Attorney-General Rizwan Ahmed Siddiqui and NAB deputy prosecutor-general Siddiq Mirza appeared for the respondents on Monday and informed the bench that while the British court had quashed the proceedings, a response was awaited from the Swiss court seized of matters relating to payments of kickbacks by Swiss customs inspection firms Cotecna and SGS. The termination of the proceedings was expected shortly and the Swiss court order would be produced as soon as received. They sought more time and the petitioner’s counsel, Adnan Karim, had no objection to adjournment. The hearing was adjourned to May 6.
Bail granted
Another bench consisting of Justices Mrs Yasmin Abbasy and Syed Mahmood Alam Rizvi granted bail to a National Bank officer allegedly involved in the GP Fund scheme. According to the NAB, about 67 bank, education and accounts officials and some teachers joined hands to misappropriate over Rs222 million from the general provident fund meant for schoolteachers of the province.
Appearing for the applicant accused, Ejaz Ahmad Memon, group III officer of a Shikarpur branch of the NBP, Advocate Shahab Sarki contended that no specific role had been assigned to his client in the NAB reference. He had been implicated on mere suspicion. A number of co-accused have been granted bail before and after arrest and the rule of consistency required that he should also be given the same concession.
Election petitions
Eleven petitions have been filed, mostly by PPP candidates, under the Representation of People Act to challenge the election of their rivals in the February 18 general election. They have been assigned to single judges named by the Election Commission as one-man election tribunals. The judges constituting the tribunals are Justice Munib Ahmed Khan, Justice Azizullah M. Memon, Justice Mahmood Alam Rizvi, Justice Dr Qamaruddin Bohra, Justice Arshad Noor Khan, Justice Syed Pir Ali Shah and Justice Farrukh Zia Shaikh. The hearing will start on different dates early next month.
Among the petitioners are Mohammad Rafiq Baloch (PS-127), Abdul Habib Memon (NA-249), Salahuddin (PS-93), Abdul Hakim Baloch (PS-126), Abdul Rashid (PS-24), Sajid Ali (NA-216), Shahryar Mazari (NA-210), Munir Hasan Gholo (PS-18), Raja Ghous Bux Bijarani (PS-17) and Riaz Hussain Lund (NA-257).
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