ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court Islamabad on Monday deferred indictment of former Senate deputy chairman Saleem Mandviwalla and others, accused in the illegal allotment of plots of Overseas Cooperative Housing Society Limited (OCHSL) (Kidney Hill) case till June 10.

The Accountability Court-I Judge, Muhammad Bashir, while hearing the case, marked the attendance of the accused, Mandviwalla, Muhammad Ajaz Haroon, former sector OCHSL, and others.

At the start of the hearing, the alleged front man of Mandviwalla, Abdul Qadir, filed an application through his counsel, seeking exemption from personal appearance before the court.

The judge said that today, charges would be framed against all the accused and during previous hearing they were asked to ensure their presence today.

The defence counsel, Qasim Abbasi, told the court that the court should indict the accused through a video link.

Qadir underwent surgery on May 1st and the doctors have advised him to rest for one month, the defence counsel said.

Qadir also produced his medical reports before the court.

The court directed Qadir’s counsel to check the availability of his client for framing charges through video link.

Later, the court approved Qadir an exemption application on medical grounds and his counsel assured the court that his client will appear before it during the next hearing.

The court directed all the accused to ensure their presence to be held on June 10.

Mandviwalla, after appearing before the court, said that some of the legislators have decided to write a letter to the Ministry of Finance to know from whom the NAB has recovered Rs24 billion and when it was deposited in the government treasury.

Senate committees will start work and we will also demand from the NAB that how much it spent over its own expenditure since its inspection.

We will also investigate Rs35 million given to Broadsheet, he said.

About amendment NAB ordnance, he said that the draconian types of laws of the NAB will be amended.

“The amendment produced by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Farooq H Naek was pending before the senate standing committee and the ordinance issued by the government was pending in the National Assembly committee,” he said, adding that the NAB ordinance will be amended.

He said that it has been recognised at the international level that the NAB laws are contrary to the Constitution of Pakistan.

He said that the chairman NAB was avoiding parliamentary committee and does not want that a committee take any matter related to him.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021