SHC grants interim bail to Qaim Ali Shah in illegal appointments case

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday granted interim bail to former chief minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, in a case related to alleged illegal appointments, ARY News reported.

Fearing arrest in the alleged illegal appointments case after National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) call-up notice, Shah had approached the Sindh High Court (SHC) for bail before arrest, earlier in the day.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has been barred from arresting Qaim Ali Shah.

“Sir I’m a poor man.” Qaim Ali Shah said and pleaded with the court to keep the surety amount low and affordable for him. To this, Justice Iqbal Kalhoro remarked, “You have been the chief minister of Sindh”, Rs200,000 will be ok?

Later, the court approved the interim bail of the PPP leader against a surety bond of Rs100,000.

The former chief minister Sindh is already facing two separate NAB inquiries.

According to the anti-graft body, Qaim Ali Shah is accused of abusing his powers while being CM Sindh and allowed 43 acres of land in Brohi Goth, Nazimabad.

The former chief minister is also facing charges of massive corruption in Roshan Sindh project initiated by the provincial government for the installation of solar streetlights across the province.

The senior PPP leader has won seven out of eight general elections he contested, becoming a MPA six times, and Member of National Assembly (MNA) and senator once. Shah completed his 2nd term as Chief Minister of Sindh on 21 March 2013.

He was once again, for the third time, elected to the office of chief minister of Sindh after the 2013 general elections. In July 2016, the PPP leadership decided to replace Shah with Murad Ali Shah as CM Sindh.