The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday barred the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from illegally harassing Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Moonis Elahi in the Hayat Khan Private Limited company case, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The court also sought an answer from the NAB chairman and director general while issuing a notice to them.

A two-member bench consisting of Justice Ali Baqir Najfi and Justice Asjad Javed Ghural heard the petition of Moonis Elahi.

The NAB chairman and director general and other officers had been made respondents in the petition.

Amjad Parvez, the lawyer for the petitioner, adopted before the court that under the NAB Ordinance, when a case was closed, it could not be reopened without judicial permission.

The judge inquired in which case the summon notice had been sent?

The lawyer replied that in the pending inquiry against Khusro Bakhtiar and Hashim Jawan Bakht, a notice had been sent to the company’s secretary of Hayat Khan Private Limited.

“But this is a completely different case. The summon notice is in the name of the company’s secretary,” the judge remarked.

“In the notice, a record of the family of the petitioner has been sought,” the lawyer told the judge.

NAB prosecutor Faisal Bukhari said: “Earlier, there was a case of assets beyond means, and this is an inquiry against Hashim Jawan Bakht and Khusro Bakhtiar.

The honourable judge inquired as to what the petitioner has to do with this case.

The lawyer said that the inquiry was being carried out against someone else, but the record was being sought of Moonis Elahi.

The court then asked the NAB to tell what the petitioner has to do with the inquiry against Hashim Jawan Bakht.

The court was also requested to nullify the summon notices of the NAB and also ask the NAB to stop any illegal disciplinary action against the petitioner.

Moonis Elahi challenges NAB inquiry in LHC

Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) leader Moonis Elahi on Thursday challenged a NAB inquiry and the investigation into a family-owned company’s assets in Lahore High Court.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Ali Baqer Najafi and Justice Asjad Javed Gharal will hear Moonis Elahi's plea today (Thursday). Advocate Amjad Pervez will appear before the court on behalf of the petitioner.

As per details, the petitioner has requested the court to declare NAB’s October 20th notice null and void. The court has also been requested to order NAB to halt any kind of illegal action. As per the petition, Chairman NAB, DG NAB and others have been made respondents. 

The petitioner said, “NAB initiated an inquiry against Elahi’s family in 2000 due to political grudges.” “Even after 20 years of investigation, NAB could not find any evidence against any member of his family,” he added. 

The petitioner adopted that NAB closed the investigation following a challenge before the Lahore High Court. FIA has registered a case against him and others by alleging assets of Hayat Khan Private Limited, as stated by the petitioner.

The petitioner also stated that NAB has already investigated these assets and there is no point to summon Elahi for this case. As per details, NAB has issued call up notice to Company Secretary and launched a re-inquiry against the assets of Elahi family’s company.

The court ordered to suspend the notices issued by NAB, pleaded the petitioner. The court should also order NAB to refrain from taking any adverse action against them, the petitioner further pleaded.

Reporter: Malik Ashraf