The Sindh High Court (SHC) granted protective bail to former federal commerce minister Amin Fahim on Wednesday in cases pertaining to multi-billion rupees trade subsidy scam.
Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, who headed a division bench of the SHC, approved the bail for the former minister till July 10, subject to furnishing surety of Rs1 million.
Farooq H Naik, counsel for the applicant, submitted that Fahim was scheduled to arrive at Karachi Airport on June 25 to participate in his brother’s funeral and to surrender before the anti-corruption court.
He expressed the fear that his client would be arrested by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) or other law enforcement agencies on his arrival.
He said that Fahim wants to surrender before the trial court, therefore, he requested that the court allow him protective bail.
The FIA has registered cases against two Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders, including former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Amin Fahim and some senior officials of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) for their alleged involvement in approving and disbursing fraudulent trade subsidies of millions of rupees to several fake companies through fictitious claims and backdated cheques.
Former deputy secretary to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat Mohammad Zubair, Farhan Junejo, Faisal Siddique, Mehr Haroon Rasheed, Mian Tariq, Zafar Hussain, Noman Siddiqui, Syed Mohibullah Shah and others are named absconders in the charge-sheet.
On June 2, the anti-corruption court had issued warrants for the arrest of Gilani and Fahim and others after accepting a number of charge-sheets filed by the FIA.
On July 17, Gilani was granted bail but the court repeated its directions for the arrest of other accused, including Fahim.
