The Sindh High Court has sought comments from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman, NAB Sindh’s director general and its deputy director on a bail petition of a chairman of Benazir Housing Cell, Syed Manzar Abbas who was behind the bars for his alleged involvement in misappropriation of Rs 367.5million of the cell’s funds.
Headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar a division bench also issued notice to deputy prosecutor general for NAB to file comments of the authorities by July 27.
Manzar moved the high court through his counsel, requesting it order his release on bail in the suspected corruption cases.
Petitioner’s counsel submitted that NAB had arrested Manzar for allegedly misappropriating the low-cost housing scheme funds on June 23. The investigator alleged that Manzar Abbas embezzled the funds meant for the construction of low-cost houses for the poor in different districts of the Sindh province.
Refuting the allegations of corruption, he argued, the registration of corruption cases against Manzar and his subsequent arrest were unlawful and ultra vires to the Articles 4, 9, 10-A, 13, 14 and 18 of the country’s constitution.
The counsel, therefore, pleaded with the judges to declare the corruption charges against the petitioner as unconstitutional and illegal. The court was further requested to grant bail to the petitioner.