IHC approves SECP chief's transit bail
Zafar Hijazi's counsel cited health issues in his client's pre-arrest bail plea
July 11, 2017
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday approved Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Chairman Zafar Hijazi's request for transit bail.
Earlier during the day, the IHC registrar raised objections on the petition for pre-arrest bail and advised Hijazi’s counsel to approach the ‘relevant forum for the matter.’ However, the hearing was later fixed in the court of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani along with the registrar's objections.
Rejecting the pre-arrest bail request, the court directed the petitioner to approach the relevant court. At this, the petitioner's counsel requested transit bail to which the court replied that the original petition needed to be revised in that case.
Following this, Hijazi remained seated inside the court for fear of arrest as the petition was sent back to the registrar office for necessary changes for approval of transit bail.
Hijazi had filed for a pre-arrest bail as per Section 498 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Pakistan. The SECP chief’s counsel, Sheikh Ansar, cited medical grounds as the basis for the request.
As per the plea, the jail environment was not conducive to Hijazi’s health, as he was on medication after a kidney transplant.
Hijazi’s request further stated that he wanted to be part of the investigation to “prove all allegations levelled against him wrong.”
An FIR was registered against Hijazi on the directives of the Supreme Court on Monday for tampering with official records.
Acting upon the apex court’s orders, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) filed the case with the Special Investigation Unit.
The FIA had identified Hijazi as the culprit behind changing official records of the Chaudhry Sugar Mills, owned by the Sharif family, to help their case.
The criminal case was registered against Hijazi under sections 466 and 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Section 466 lists a seven-year imprisonment and fine for those who forge a legal document, while section 471 punishes in the same manner for using as genuine a forged document.
