Court extends Aleem Khan’s judicial remand till May 27

F.P. Report

LAHORE: An accountability court has extended judicial remand of former senior minister of Punjab Aleem Khan till May 27 in assets beyond sources case, on Monday.

According to details, accountability court Judge Syed Jawad ul Hassan conducted the hearing and inquired about the reference against the former senior minister of Punjab.

Meanwhile, a hearing on Aleem Khan’s bail plea was also conducted by Lahore High Court (LHC).

On February 6, Aleem was detained by the NAB while recording his statement in a case lined to an offshore company unveiled in the Panama Papers leaks.

On February 7, the court sent him on a nine-day physical remand in NAB’s custody. During hearing of the case on February 15, the NAB’s prosecutor told the court that in 2003, Aleem Khan was an ordinary citizen and suddenly in 2007, he became millionaire with 35 companies.

The bureau’s prosecutor maintained that the PTI leader concealed his assets.

The NAB prosecutor maintained that AED30 million were transferred from Pakistan to Dubai and the accused failed to provide details.

Contrarily, Aleem Khan’s counsel maintained that the money was sent from the account of Aleem’s mother and that his client has submitted all of his documents to the anti-graft watchdog body.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) will resume hearing into bail petition of Aleem Khan, on Monday (today).

According to details, Jutice Ali Baqir Najfi will head a two member bench of the LHC and they will hear the bail petition of Punjab’s former senior minister.

During the last hearing on May 6, the NAB’s Investigation Officer (IO) had informed the court that reference is being finalised against Aleem Khan and soon it will be filed in the NAB court.

Aleem Khan’s counsel Barrister Ali Zafar had asked the court to grant his client a bail as the bureau has failed to prove any charges against his client after his arrest in the month of February.

“The proceedings of the reference can also be carried out after bail”, he said.

To this, the court directed NAB to produce all the record of investigation against PTI leader and adjourned the hearing till May 13 (today).

According to the petition, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Aleem Khan over the charges of his offshore companies and assets beyond known sources of income.

The NAB in its charges against Khan alleged that the PTI leader was a common man in year 2000 and suddenly became a millionaire as his assets now worth Rs 871 million. He remained Punjab minister from 2003 to 2007 and set up 35 companies, while his several bank accounts also surfaced, the anti-corruption watchdog claimed.