IHC orders release of 24 suspects under NAB custody

ISLAMABAD: In view of the coronavirus pandemic, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday ordered release of 24 accused, arraigned by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), in alleged major corruption scandals.

A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the bail pleas.

Those bailed out included Hussain Lowai, Najamuzzaman, Taha Raza, Mustafa Zulqnain Majeed, Khawaja Muhammad Suleman, Faisal Nadim, Amanullah and Dr Dinshaw, who have been implicated in the fake bank accounts case.

NAB’S additional prosecutor general Akbar Tarar opposed the bail requests but said that the anti-graft agency has no objection to the release of a detainee, who was hit by the COVID-19.

Justice Minallah remarked that the superintendent of the Adiala Jail Rawalpindi had filed the bail applications. Courts can’t be closed even in worst situations so that the fundamental rights of the people are not affected, he said.

The IHC chief justice said that if the NAB was determined to oppose the bails, then the court would let the detainees remain in jail where the NAB’S investigation officers should probe them.

“Sadly, the government is not doing its job, and its job is also being done by courts. Even today, Pakistan stands at number 120 at the index indicating the affecting of the fundamental rights. These are the weak people that the NAB has put behind bars. Has it ever put any powerful person in jail.”

Justice Minallah further observed that these accused are of old age while the parliament has fixed a maximum of 14 years imprisonment in corruption cases.

The court said as to why the NAB wants to keep the under trials in prison. “Who will be responsible if the pandemic spreads among the inmates? Do you know how many prisoners are in a jail barrack? We have to take extraordinary decisions in extraordinary circumstances.”

The court said that an accused is considered innocent till the time an offence is proved against him. “You should do good prosecution to get the accused awarded maximum imprisonment.”