AC defers indictment of Khursheed Shah in assets case

SUKKUR: An Accountability Court on Monday deferred indictment of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Syed Khursheed Shah in assets beyond known means of income case.

The hearing of the case was presided over by AC Judge Farid Anwar Qazi as the PPP leader and others accused including Sindh Transport Minister Awais Qadir Shah appeared before the court.

The counsel for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) requested the court to defer the indictment as more evidence has been gathered against Shah and others. The court accepted the pleas and adjourned the hearing until 8th September.

Speaking to reporters after the heading, Khursheed Shah said that the NAB has failed to register reference against him despite the passage of twelve months. He vowed to continue fighting the corruption cases against them.

NAB had also nominated two wives, two sons, and a son-in-law of Khursheed Shah in the reference. The NAB prosecutor had requested the accountability judge to indict all the accused in the assets beyond means case.

It is pertinent to mention here that the anti-graft watchdog had filed assets beyond means reference of Rs1.23 billion against Khursheed Shah and arrested him on 18th September, 2019 in Islamabad.

The accountability court had granted him bail in December last year after the NAB’s delay in filing reference against him. However, the Sindh High Court (SHC) Circuit Bench Sukkur later suspended the accountability court’s orders granting bail to the PPP stalwart.

There are multiple corruption cases against Khursheed Shah under investigation with NAB. In July 2019, NAB Chairman Justice retired Javed Iqbal had approved nine inquiries against different personalities including Khursheed Shah pending for several years.