SUKKUR: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Saturday arrested Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Khursheed Shah’s son, MPA Farrukh Shah, from the premises of a Sukkur accountability court.
The NAB arrested the PPP lawmaker following the court orders.
Farrukh Shah had recently filed a request with the Supreme Court for pre-arrest bail in an ongoing probe into possession of assets beyond known sources of income. The request was later withdrawn and the Supreme Court had ordered Farrukh to surrender before the Sukkur court in three days’ time.
In compliance with the apex court’s order, Farrukh surrendered before the accountability court on Saturday. Farrukh was taken to NAB’s office following the arrest.
During court proceedings, Farrukh’s counsel Farooq H Naek said that his client had fully cooperated with NAB’s investigation and that the anti-graft watchdog had acknowledged in court that the probe is complete. “When the probe is complete, what is the need for an arrest?” he asked.
The NAB prosecutor general, on the other hand, argued that the court had ordered that Farrukh surrender to a NAB team but that he had instead surrendered in court.
In an earlier hearing, the prosecutor had also told the court that Farrukh Shah “did not co-operate in the investigation”. He had said if the investigation officer asks Farrukh a question, he replies by saying they should ask his father the same. The prosecutor had said that NAB had issued warrants for Farrukh Shah since April 2020.
Justice Tariq Masood remarked that the apex court had fixed the bail parameters in Talat Ishaq case. NAB had to file a supplementary reference, he added. He asked the counsel whether the court should decide on the bail petition on merit or whether he wanted to withdraw the petition.
Khursheed Shah’s son withdrew his application for pre-arrest bail, at which the court ordered Farrukh Shah to surrender before the accountability court within three days.
Farrukh Shah is a member of the Sindh Assembly and he was elected from the PS-24, Sukkur-III constituency.
