Court hears Mandviwala's acquittal plea in Kidney Hills reference

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Monday heard Kidney Hills NAB reference against PPP leader Saleem Mandviwala and others, ARY News reported.

Saleem Mandviwala also appeared in the court hearing. His counsel argued over reply of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the case.

The accountability bureau during the hearing opposed the acquittal plea of Mandviwalla in the reference, praying the court to dismiss it.

The defence counsel argued that after the recent amendment in the ordinance, the NAB have no jurisdiction in this reference. “After the amended ordinance the NAB have no jurisdiction over private transactions,” the counsel argued. “It would have been in NAB jurisdiction if the matter had related to taxation,” the lawyer said.

The court asked final arguments over the matter in the next hearing of the case.

The case adjourned for further hearing until December 15.

Senator Saleem Mandviwalla and former PIA managing director Aijaz Haroon have challenged Kidney Hills plots reference under the NAB Amendment Ordinance 2021.

After the ordinance, the ambit of the accountability court has ended, Saleem Mandviwalla said in his plea. The court after serving notice to the NAB for a response on the plea adjourned the hearing of the case until November 3.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a reference against ex-Senate Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla in an illegal land allotments case.