Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal were released from jail on Wednesday, after the Accountability Court issued orders for their release.
The Accountability Court-I judge, Muhammad Bashir, and Accountability Judge-II Azam Khan issued the release order of Abbasi and Iqbal respectively to Adiala jail superintendent.
The surety bonds were submitted by the guarantors Anjum Aqeel and Raja Qadir Mumtaz.
Both were later released from Adiala jail.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday last granted bail to Abbasi in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) corruption case and PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal in the Narowal Sports Complex reference against surety bonds of Rs 10 million each.
At the start of the hearing, the court raised objections over the surety bonds submitted in the shape of property documents.
Abbasi's counsel Barrister Zafarullah Khan told the court that the IHC had approved the surety bonds on Tuesday.
At this, judge Azam Khan asked for submission of surety bonds in cash. Zafarullah said that the order of the IHC had authorized them to submit the surety bonds in any shape. The judge said, "Do you say we do not have any powers".
Abbasi said that the court had the power but "we request that the IHC order has authorized us". At this, the court asked where the surety is.
The defence counsel said that local committee chairman Raja Waqar Mumtaz is giving the surety.
The court ordered verification of property documents presented for surety from the revenue officer and submission before the court.
Zafarullah also represented Iqbal and submitted his surety bond before Accountability Court-I judge Muhammad Bashir in the shape of one kanal property documents.
The judge asked that did the one kanal land worth Rs 10 million. At this, the counsel replied that the price one kanal could even be Rs 50 million. The court order verification of surety bonds of Iqbal from the revenue officer and submission before it.
The court issued release orders of Abbasi and Iqbal after their counsel submitted verified surety bonds before it. The anti-graft body had arrested the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Abbasi at Thokar Niaz Baig interchange, Lahore, on July 18 in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) case, and Iqbal in the Narowal Sport City Complex Project (NSCCP) scam on December 23rd. Later both were released from Adiala Jail.
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