Fawad Chaudhry demands Aleem's release on bail

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said on Saturday there is an impression that former Punjab minister Aleem Khan is being punished for the offence he has not committed just because of opposition leaders’ hue and cry over NAB actions against them.

In a message on Twitter, he said the charges Aleem is facing are less serious.

If suspects who had pocketed billions of rupees were awarded bail easily, then a businessman who didn’t face any allegations of causing a loss to the national exchequers should be granted bail, he demanded.

علیم خان کا مقدمہ کم سنگین ہے، اگر اربوں روپے کھانے والے ملزموں کو اتنی آسانی سے ضمانت مل سکتی ہے تو ایک کاروباری آدمی کو جس پر سرکاری خزانے کو نقصان پہنچانے کا کوئ الزام نہیں ضمانت دی جانی چاہئے۔عام تاثر یہ ہے کہ علیم کو اپوزیشن کے شور کی وجہ سے ناکردہ جرم کی سزا دی جا رہی ہے۔

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) April 13, 2019

Earlier, on April 11, an accountability court had extended judicial remand of PTI leader Aleem Khan until April 20 in assets beyond means and offshore companies.

The jail officials produced the accused before the court in a tight security.

During the hearing, the judge asked the NAB prosecutor about filing of reference against the accused. The prosecutor replied the probe was under way and it will be filed soon.

The judge said filing final reference was the NAB’s responsibility and it should do it at the earliest.