LHC extends interim bail of Capt (retd) Safdar in assets case

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday extended interim pre-arrest bail of Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar, son-in-law of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, till April 15, in an assets beyond means inquiry.

The court extended the bail after a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor sought time for filing reply to the petition.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Asjad Javaid Ghural heard the pre-arrest bail petition, filed by Capt Safdar.

The accused, along with his counsel, remained present during the proceedings. Through his petition, he had submitted that he had received a call-up notice from the NAB Lahore asking him to appear before its combined investigation team (CIT) to explain his assets.

He submitted that an inquiry into his assets was also pending at NAB Peshawar whereas he had also filed a pre-arrest bail plea at Peshawar High Court in connection with the inquiry.

He submitted that an inquiry on a single matter could not be launched in two provinces and the call-up notice, issued by the Bureau, showed mala fide.

He submitted that there was a possibility that NAB could arrest him; therefore, a pre-arrest bail be granted to him.

NAB Lahore had summoned Capt Safdar for March 10 with a direction to present the record of all properties in his name and his family members.