LHC seeks replies on whether MSR's wife and children – 8, 6, 4 and 1 year old in 1986 – should also be arrested

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday sought replies within two weeks from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman and others on a petition alleging "faulty investigation" in the property case against Jang Geo Media Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.

An LHC division bench comprising Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem and Justice Farooq Haider passed the orders on a petition filed by Asad Kharal.

Meanwhile, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman remains under arrest without a trial after the Lahore High Court turned down his plea for bail just a day earlier, setting aside assurances that he presented no flight risk and was in poor health. 

The petitioner in the new case said he is unsatisfied with just MSR being arrested and has argued that the senior journalist's wife and children ought to be put behind bars as well in the same 34-year-old case that the senior journalist has been detained for. 

A counsel on behalf of the petitioner argued before the Lahore High Court today that his client provided "solid evidence" to NAB against Mir Shakil and his family members — Mir Ibrahim, Mir Ismail, Shaheena Shakil and others — in the case pertaining to a 34-year-old allotment of plots.

It bears mentioning that in 1986, Mir Ibrahim Rahman was only 8 years old, Ayesha Rahman was 6, Asma Rahman was 4 and Mir Ismail Rahman was 1 year old.

The petitioner has complained asking why the bureau only arrested Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and no step was taken against his family members.

The petitioner also argued that because NAB had "failed to take appropriate action against the co-accused", it would "benefit" Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman at the trial stage.

The petitioner pleaded the court to direct NAB to also nominate the journalist's wife and children in the reference and also place their names on the Exit Control List.