ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court has permitted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to interrogate Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former premier Imran Khan for three days in jail in the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) scam commonly known as the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Accountability Court judge, Muhammad Bashir, in his written order on the NAB request for granting physical remand of PTI Chairman Imran Khan in Al Qadir Trust case, allowed the anti-graft body to investigate the former premier in Adiala jail.

According to the written order, Investigating Officer (IO) Mian Umar Nadeem, Asim Munir, case officer, and prosecutors are allowed to interrogate the accused for three days in jail premises.

In the revision petition order of dismissal of the pre-arrest application for non-prosecution has been impugned. Therefore, applications submitted for physical remand may be kept pending, the order says.

The order says an application is filed for the physical remand of the accused Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi. The NAB adopted the stance before the court that the physical remand is necessary for the purpose of finalisation of the investigation and logical conclusion of the case on merits. Physical remand of the accused Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi is required for interrogation and confrontation with available records, it says.

The order says that it is submitted by prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi that the accused has been charged with the offence u/s 9(a)(iii)(iv)(vi) and (xii) of the NAO, 1999, and offence mentioned in the schedule thereto.

Defence counsel Sardar Latif Khosa has submitted that the name of Ahmed Ali, Malik Riaz, Zulfi Bukhari, and Shahzad Akbar are not reflected anywhere in the grounds of arrest. The accused was arrested previously and released by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the order says, adding that now, another attempt is made to arrest him and remand is being sought. It is a case of no evidence.

Khosa advocate submits that the decision on the revision petition pending in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Islamabad is reserved and it may be announced today or any other day. Further, hearing on the request for physical remand will be held on November 17.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023