Syed Qaim Ali Shah, former chief minister Sindh, has approached Sindh High Court to seek pre-arrest bail after National Accountability Bureau (NAB) served him a call-up notice in connection with violation of rules in allotment of Malir River land. On behalf of Shah, his lawyer Barrister Zamir Ghumro filed a constitutional petition in SHC on Saturday in which NAB chairman, director general NAB Karachi, and others have been made respondents.
Qaim Ali Shah stated in the plea that call-up notice is without lawful authority, illegal, unlawful, malafide, arbitrary, whimsical, discriminatory, unconstitutional, and in violation of the principles of natural justice, fairness and equity.
The former CM pleaded innocence and stated he is being falsely implicated in the instant investigation. He stated that call-up notice is absolutely vague and arbitrary for the reason that NAB officials have failed to disclose any evidence against him.
The petitioner cited that the constitution provides protection, inter alia, to the Chief Minister of a province for the exercise of powers and performance of functions of his respective office or for any act done or purported to be done in exercise of those powers and performance of those functions.
He also stated that through impugned call-up notice, no specific allegations have been leveled against him so as to allow him to defend the same and said that respondents have misconstrued the law by issuing call up notice to him for actions performed by him in exercise of his powers under the constitution.
The petitioner prayed the court to declare call-up notice as 'without lawful authority' and in violation of constitutional protection and pleaded that this call-up notice should be quashed.