LHC issues notice to NAB over Fawad Hassan Fawad's bail plea

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday issued notice to the National Accountability Bureau over the bail petition of former principal secretary to Prime Minister, Fawad Hassan Fawad seeking his bail in assets case, ARY News reported.

Fawad’s counsel Amjad Pervaiz in his arguments before a two-member bench of the high court headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, said that his client was arrested without any justification in assets beyond means reference.

He said the NAB failed to present any evidence in support of its charges against his client.

He pleaded that the charges leveled against him about owning a plaza have nothing to do with Fawad Hassan Fawad.

In his bail petition to the court Fawad said, “I have no personal home except the government residence.” He said he was nearing retirement from his government job and the official home will also be returned back.

“I am imprisoned in jail for last one-and-half year without any crime,” he said.

“My health has deteriorated and medical treatment is not possible in jail,” he pleaded and sought the court order for his release on bail from the assets case.

The bench issued notice to NAB to submit reply in the court by December 18.

The former principal secretary to Prime Minister was granted bail by the Lahore High Court on February 15 along with former chief minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme case.

The NAB in an early December hearing of the Supreme Court had not pressed over its appeal against the Feb 14 LHC order to release Shahbaz Sharif and Fawad Hassan Fawad in the housing scheme scam.