The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the bail application of former chairman Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Asif Hashmi. A three-member judge bench, headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, heard post-arrest bail application of the ex-chief ETPB.
Irfan Qadir, representing Asif Hashmi, contended that his client was asked that he would not be arrested on his return, but former chief justice Saqib Nisar got him arrested from the premises of Supreme Court. After completing his tenure, he left for abroad but when he returned Pakistan on February 10, 2018, he was arrested from the SC premises after it was revealed that he did not secure bail in some cases filed against him.
Irfan Qadir contended that Asif is accused of making 754 illegal appointments, but the fact is that he made no appointment. Justice Sh Azmat said after hearing NAB on the next date they would decide the matter, and adjourned the case till after Eid.
The NAB had filed references against Asif Hashmi and others for illegally recruiting employees in ETPB in violation of rules and regulations. On March 18, he had been granted post-arrest bail by the Lahore High Court (LHC) in a case relating to financial irregularities but denied him bail in another reference pertaining to illegal appointments.
Hashmi served as the ETPB chairman between 2007 and 2013 and was taken into custody by the NAB after his arrival from the UAE. He has been facing charges of misusing his authority for recruitments and misappropriation of funds during the last Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) regime, and has sought post-arrest bail in his petition.
The Bureau alleged that Hashmi misused his authority, kept the respective ministry in the dark and misappropriated millions of rupees. It also accused Hashmi of selling 1,946 kanals of land of the board to DHA on 25 per cent exemption basis in 2009.
In other reference, it alleged that the suspect made illegal investment worth Rs 1,870 million with a private company namely M/s High Links (Pvt) Limited.
The NAB said Asif Hashmi ignored settled laws for the investment with the company and caused a huge loss to the national exchequer. The former chairman was also accused of making illegal recruitments in the board. The NAB had filed two references of illegal appointments against Hashmi and one each about illegal allotment and unauthorised sale of the board's precious land.
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