Suspension of Sharjeel's arrest warrants: SC rejects NAB's appeal against SHC decision

The Supreme Court Monday rejected the National Accountability Bureau's appeal against Sindh High Court decision to suspend its warrants of arrest for Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sharjeel Memon.

The SHC last week had granted pre-arrest bail to PPP leader and former Sindh minister Sharjeel Memon and ordered the NAB not to arrest him during inquiry being conducted against him.

Sharjeel Memon filed pre-arrest bail petition in the SHC, fearing his arrest after opening of new inquiries against him by the NAB. Memon, in his petition, stated that two references are already under proceedings against him and it came into his knowledge that the anti-corruption watchdog is now holding a secret inquiry.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Ameen-ud-Din heard the NAB appeal. It observed that the SHC decision in which it made observations against the Bureau won't have any bearing on the trial proceedings against Memon.

"The SHC's decision suspending the arrest warrants won't be used as a legal reference," the court ruled.

An accountability court on December 21 had issued a show cause notice to the investigation officer of the assets reference against Memon over failure to submit report about the proclaimed offenders of the case.

Memon's wife Sadaf Sharjeel and mother Zeenat Inaam Memon have been among the co-accused in the assets beyond means reference filed by the NAB. Both of them filed petitions for exemption from appearing in hearing of the case.

In the earlier hearing, the court had summoned Memon's wife and other co-accused on December 21. Former provincial minister was also absent from the accountability hearing.

The corruption reference stated that the investigators have found solid evidence of financial irregularities against Memon, his wife and other accused. The reference also stated presence of record, which confirms charges of making assets beyond known sources of income by the accused. The accused persons are facing over Rs 2.27 billion corruption charges.

Another reference against Memon is also under proceeding over his alleged involvement in corruption worth Rs 5.75 billion. Memon is accused of awarding government advertisements at exorbitant rates when he was Sindh's information minister. He was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau in 2017 and remained in jail for 20 months. He is currently out of jail after the court granted him bail.