NAB granted Agha Siraj Durrani's physical remand till March 1

KARACHI: An accountability court in Karachi on Thursday granted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) the physical remand on Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani till March 1.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader was presented before the accountability court amid tight security as NAB sought his physical remand.

As the hearing went under way, the NAB prosecutor told the court, "Durrani is accused of owning assets beyond known sources of income. His 14-day physical remand should be granted as the matter is in inquiry stage."

At this, Durrani's counsel said, "Yesterday, the PPP leader's house was raided and officials misbehaved and harassed with the women in the house. My client is not being given medicines and is not allowed to meet his family."

Questioning whether NAB "has a personal enmity" with his client, Durrani's counsel said, "I will submit a written plea against the attitude of NAB officials." 

"There is no need to grant his physical remand," the counsel added. However, the court granted NAB the physical remand of the PPP leader till March 1.

NAB officials arrested Durrani, who was under investigation in three cases pertaining to illegal appointments, accumulating assets beyond means, and embezzlement of funds, from a private hotel in Islamabad on Wednesday. The PPP leader was then presented before an accountability court and his three-day transit remand was secured. 

The accountability bureau had sought seven-day transit remand of Durrani, but the accountability court granted three-day transit remand and directed NAB to produce him before the relevant court in Karachi within three days. The Sindh Assembly speaker was then transported to Karachi and shifted to a NAB office.

According to Durrani's family, NAB officers carried out a raid at their residence in Karachi on Wednesday night and took with them several documents and files. In all, they took three boxes' worth of items and papers after the seven-hour-long raid, the family said.

NAB had initiated three separate inquiries against Durrani last year for allegedly owning assets beyond means, illegally recruiting 352 individuals on various government positions and embezzlement of funds for the construction of the MPA Hostel and construction of the new Sindh Assembly building.