Accountability court extends MSR's judicial remand till August 5
MSR was arrested by NAB on March 12 on trumped-up charges relating to property purchased more than three decades ago
July 22, 2020
LAHORE: An accountability court summoned Jang/Geo Media Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman on August 5 and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a reference pertaining to the purchase of a private land 34 years ago.
A hearing was held into the matter on Tuesday during which the court issued notices to Humayun Faiz Rasul and Mian Bashir Ahmad, two officials of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA).
MSR has been arrested in a fake case relating to the purchase of a private property three decades earlier. It has been more than 100 days since the veteran journalist has been held illegally by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
As the hearing commenced, presiding judge Assad Ali Khan inquired about the non-presence of the accused in the courtroom. Answering the court, the prosecutor told him that former LDA DG Humayun Faiz and Land Development director Mian Bashir were not in NAB's custory. It was further told to the court that the co-accused in the reference, former prime minister Nawaz was abroad.
When the judge asked why MSR had not been presented before the court, the prosecutor said that directives had been issued to authorities that the accused in custody shall not be produced before the respective courts till July 31 as part of an initiative to protect them from COVID-19.
After hearing the prosecutor, the court adjourned the hearing and extended MSR's judicial remand till August 5. Previously, NAB had filed a reference against the veteran journalist, Nawaz and the two former LDA officials.
Moreover, the NAB had filed the reference over a property deal reached with the owners of the private land 34 years ago. The land was allotted 34 years ago according to the LDA's rules and regulations with the formal approval of the competent authorities and in accordance with the LDA exemption policy at that time.
All payments were made according to the government approved rates, just like all other allottees. In the entire process, no law was violated, and no loss was caused to the national exchequer.
