KARACHI:Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday approved a protective bail plea of Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Mustafa Kamal in a reference filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) regarding the alleged illegal allotment of around 5,500 square yards land in Clifton during his city mayor term.
A two-member bench of the SHC, headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro, approved Kamal’s plea for a protective bail and ordered him to submit a Rs1 million surety. Hassan Sabir, the counsel of PSP leader, argued that other suspects in the case had been asked to submit a surety of Rs 500,000.
At this, the bench asked the counsel to show the bail orders for other suspects. The counsel replied that he would present soon.
The bench questioned Kamal’s counsel why they were seeking bail if only notices had been issued by NAB? The counsel replied that NAB had named Kamal as a suspect and he could be arrested at any time.
Kamal, in his petition, said that NAB had named him in the reference on the basis of baseless allegations. “I am ready to face allegations by appearing before the accountability court,” he said. He requested the court to stop NAB from arresting him.
On June 22, the NAB had filed a reference against Kamal and others regarding the alleged illegal allotment of around 5,500 square yards of commercial land to Bahria Town for a multistory building.
Following this, an accountability court on July 11 reissued notices to Kamal and two others for the third time.
An accountability court judge had taken notice of the former mayor’s absence and directed him to appear before the court on July 27 in personal capacity.
Talking to media outside the court, Kamal said: ‘’I do not have any benami accounts and not stolen even three rupees”. “I am being issued a notice for a case which has no basis,” he said. He said he needed bail.
“I have worked with honesty still today and I have to go through this situation.” Kamal claimed that nothing had been proven and he would be acquitted in the case.
“But when I am acquitted no one will pick up that story,” he said, adding that if the allegations against him are proven, he should be hung in a public’’ he said.