The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to wrap up its investigation against Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani within four weeks.
According to NAB officials, Durrani is suspected of accumulating assets beyond his known sources of income as well as embezzling public funds.
During the hearing today, SHC Judge Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh inquired about how far along the investigation was. The investigation officer told the court that a preliminary investigation in the case was complete and that Durrani’s remand was over. He further said that a more in-depth investigation is still underway.
Addressing the NAB director, the court ordered that the investigation be completed within four weeks, by May 29. NAB was also ordered to submit an investigation report at the end of the four weeks.
When asked how many illegal cars Durrani owns, NAB investigator told the court that the Sindh Assembly speaker was in possession of 25 cars which were suspected to be acquired through illegal means.
The NAB investigator asked for four weeks’ time to file a reference against Durrani. To this, the court said if the reference is not filed at the end of four weeks, the verdict will be given on the basis of the evidence already presented to it.
Durrani’s lawyer said in court that his client has been in prison and that the court should hear a bail plea filed by Durrani as the PA speaker’s stance is that his arrest has been made on illegal grounds and that he has been politically victimised.
To this, the court’s unsympathetic remark was, “We have people here who have been languishing in prisons for years.”
“The means used for my arrest were illegal, I was arrested for the sake of political revenge. During the raid at my house women were misbehaved with. NAB has not been able to present any reason for procuring my remand,” Durrani said in his application for bail.
Durrani, in his application, demanded that his arrest be deemed illegal and the inquiry against him be stopped while he is freed on bail.
