SC Dismisses Bail Plea Of Former MD PTDC

SC dismisses bail plea of former MD PTDC

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd August, 2016) : The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a bail plea filed by former Managing Director (MD) Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Shahjahan Khetran and directed the accountability court to dispose of the reference in two months. The division bench of the apex court comprising Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Justice Tariq Masood heard the bail plea filed by Shahjahan Khetran arrested for alleged corruption and appointments in PTDC. During the course of proceedings, Aitzaz Ahsan counsel for Shahjehan Khetran told the court that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested his client 18 months ago while it did not arrest other accused in the case.

He said that earlier the court directed the trial court to dispose of the reference against his client in four months but the prosecution had recorded 12 witnesses' statements out of 84 witnesses till now, adding NAB was misguiding the court in his client's case.

Nasir Mughal Special Prosecutor NAB told the court that trial court proceedings were continue and NAB would present three more witnesses before the trial court while written statements of other witness would also be submitted. Justice Tariq Masood remarked that the record shows that due to delaying tactics of accused, trial proceedings were delayed. Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali remarked that NAB always took too much time for filing of reference as it could not arrest someone for long period without filing reference. The court after hearing arguments of both parties dismissed the bail plea and remarked that according to NAB the trial against accused was at last stage. The court directed the trial court to decide the matter in two months, and if it failed to decided the case, then the accused again can apply for bail.