Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday approved the protective bail of Miftah Ismail, former federal minister for finance for ten days in connection with the call-up notice of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of an inquiry for awarding LNG tender to M/s Elengy Terminal Pakistan Limited (ETPL).
A division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh accepted the plea for protective bail against surety bond of Rs.200,000 after Miftah Ismail moved the SHC against the his arrest, which he apprehended might take place in the prevailing situation. Federation through Ministry of Law and NAB has been made respondents in the petition.
The petitioner through his counsel Haider Wahid Advocate submitted before the court that he was called by the NAB in regards to an inquiry against the authorities including former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, concerned Secretary, Management of Sui Southern Gas Company, Interstate Gas Systems, M/s Elengy Terminal Pakistan Limited (ETPL) and others regarding illegal award of LNG Tender to ETPL.
The petitioner stated that there never was, nor has there ever been, any illegality/legal detected in the award of the tenders. Moreover, the petitioner had no role whatsoever in the award of such tenders. Although, the petitioner has only a "perfunctory" role in the award to ETPL a call-up notice was issued, which was complied when the petitioner appeared before the NAB officials and was provided a questionnaire to which he duly provided answers, the petition stated.
The petitioner said that he has been compliant with NAB and intends to assist it in any way possible. However in light of recent events where the NAB has taken stringent actions against those who have been actively voicing out their concerns against the current government, he fears for his liberty.
The petitioner also termed the actions of NAB motivated by extraneous considerations, particularly the pressure and political influence being wielded on NAB by the current government against whose policies the petitioner has actively spoken against.
THE petitioner also prayed the court to restrain NAB from causing any harassment or taking any coercive action against him and direct it to conduct inquiry or investigate by acting in accordance with the law and not to abuse the powers vested in them by virtue of the NAB Ordinance, 1999.
The court accepted the plea of Miftah for ten days against surety bond of Rs.200000 against two-week, which the petitioner sought in the plea.