Record tampering case: Court approves SECP chairman’s pre-arrest bail

ISLAMABAD: A lower court approved on Monday Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Chairman Zafar Hijazi’s pre-arrest bail application.

SECP chairman has been granted five-day bail against two surety bonds worth Rs250,000 each.

Special Judge Central Tahir Mehmood was hearing the bail application.

On July 13, Zafar Hijazi was granted a transit bail by the IHC bench, headed by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani.

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.

An FIR was registered against Hijazi on the directives of the Supreme Court 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.