SHC dismisses Sharjeel Memon's bail plea

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition of imprisoned former information minister Sharjeel Memon through which he sought pre-arrest bail in a case pertaining to illegal allotment of the state land in Malir district.

A division bench of the SHC dismissed the petition for having become infructuous after his arrest.

It observed that since the PPP leader has been sent behind bars in another case, his plea for bail before arrest has been rendered ineffective.

On October 23, Memon was taken into custody along with other suspects from outside the SHC main building after the court revoked their interim bail in a case pertaining to the corruption of Rs5.76 billion in the provincial information department.

Memon is also facing another case which pertained to his alleged role in getting the state land allotted and adjusted in 43 Dehs at throwaway price for a property developer, depriving the public exchequer of billions of rupees in revenue.

Sharjeel Memon, who had returned to Pakistan in March this year after his two-year-long self-imposed exile, is facing several charges of misappropriation and corruption.

A reference filed against him related to the alleged award of government advertisements at exorbitant rates, causing loss of more than Rs five billion to the national exchequer.