A division bench of the Lahore High Court on Thursday issued notices for July 13 to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on a bail application filed by Haris Steel Mill Director Sheikh Afzal, involved in the Bank of Punjab scam. The bench comprising Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry and Justice Mazhar Iqbal Sidhu passed the order on the bail application filed by the petitioner through Counsel Dr Babar Awan. The petitioner’s counsel contended before the court that no allegation had proved against Afzal despite appearing before the trail court more than 56 times. He said according to Article 25 of the constitution, all citizens were equal but clear discrimination could be seen in the matter as Afzal was not being granted a bail despite no bank fraud case being proven against him.
Referring to the recent amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act, Babar said Afzal was neither a terrorist nor a dangerous person therefore he deserved benefit of bail under the law. Arguing further about the new CPA changes, Awan said if the trail was not completed in two years, the accused would automatically be entitled to bail relief. After hearing the arguments, the bench issued notices to the NAB for July 13.
Afzal and his son Haris Afzal were arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency from Malaysia in 2009. According to the investigators, Afzal, the director of Haris Steel, with co-accused Muhammad Munir, Ali Ijaz, Abid Raza and Irfan Ali, in connivance with Hamesh Khan and other officials, opened 23 fake accounts with forged national identity cards and obtained a loan of approximately Rs 9 billion from 2005 to 2007, using fake documentation, bogus collateral, fictitious guarantees and mortgage deeds executed by fictitious individuals.
