SHC reserves verdict in Agha Siraj Durrani bail plea

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday reserved verdict in a case pertaining to bail plea of the incumbent Speaker Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj Durrani in assets beyond means case, ARY NEWS reported.

The court earlier on November 18, adjourned the hearing for today, directing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor to submit his final arguments in the case.

In the previous hearing, the NAB prosecutor was also admonished for not coming in court with preparation. “You should have read the apex court rulings before making arguments in the case,” the SHC judge said.

During court proceedings today, the court asked as to why the daughters of the speaker were named in the illegal assets case. “Is a 16-year planned to conceal assets in her name,” the judge asked.

The NAB prosecutor responded that the daughters were included in the reference for having benami properties in their name.

Read More: Court to indict Agha Siraj Durrani in assets case on December 3

“Similar happened in the case of Nawaz Sharif where his daughter and sons were included in the case for having such properties,” the persecutor argued while giving an example but was unable to give a proper reference of it when the judge asked him.

You cannot move ahead while not mentioning a proper reference of the case, the top provincial court judge said.

The prosecutor, however, demanded the provincial apex court judge to reject the bail plea as the accused was influential and could exercise his powers to damage the case if allowed to roam free on bail.

On November 19, an accountability court decided to indict Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani and other accused in an ongoing investigation of assets beyond known sources of income on December 3.

The court, however, ordered to separate Durrani’s wife, his son and daughters from the reference, and directed authorities concerned to initiate proceedings of the declaring the accused fugitive.