PPP leader Sharjeel Memon released by NAB after brief detention

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples' Party senior leader Sharjeel Memon was released after being briefly detained by the National Accountability Bureau on early Sunday morning from Islamabad airport.

While talking to Geo News after his release, Memon said  he will give his point of view on the nearly two and a half hours detention in a press conference today (Sunday) after consulting his lawyers. 

Memon spoke to his family members and the chief minister of Sindh after being released. 

NAB released the former provincial informational minister after getting verification and undertaking on his bail before arrest from his lawyer, Shakeel Abbasi.

Islamabad High Court has granted bail before arrest to Memon till March 20.

Memon was taken into custody from Islamabad airport by the NAB personnel immediately after his arrival from Dubai. Memon arrived in the country along with the Sindh ministers, Mukesh Chawla, Imdad Pitafi, Fayyaz Ali Butt and Nawab Taimur Talpur.

According to sources privy to the development, six plain-cloth personnel under the deputy director of NAB's crime wing took Memon into their custody from Benazir Bhutto International Airport on the advice of NAB`s Karachi division immediately when he came outside from the flight, EK-614. The provincial legislator was shifted to an undisclosed location.   

Adviser to Sindh CM Nawab Taimur Talpur informed Geo News that Memon resisted his arrest which led to brief manhandling. Talpur added the former minister is scheduled to appear before the court on Monday.

"Chaudhry Nisar`s Gullu Butt ripped apart the copies of legal documents while taking Memon into their custody," Talpur claimed. "Memon was taken away in a disgraceful manner despite him giving his utmost cooperation." 

He added the issue has not ended but has now begun. 

Sources informed that Memon after his release moved to Sindh House of Islamabad and contacted the chief minister of Sindh.

NAB has filed a reference against Memon and 10 others in an accountability court of Karachi for alleged corruption of around Rs5.76billion.

Besides Memon, other accused include Zulfiqar Ali Shallwani, Aneeta Baloch, Mansoor Ahmed Rajput, Mohammad Yousuf Kaboro, Inaam Akbar, Altaf Hussain Memon, Riyaz Manir, Fazal Mehmood, Mohammad Hanif, Asim, Masood Hashmi, Gulzar Ali, Suleman Mansoor Umer, Syed Naveed and Sarang Latif Chandio.   

Memon was living in a self-imposed exile for more than two years in Dubai and London.