The Supreme Court has dismissed PPP leader Khurshid Shah’s post-bail application after the latter has withdrawn his petition, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The Supreme Court on Friday discharged Mr Shah’s post-bail application following his withdrawal of the petition. Now the PPP stalwart will submit his bail application in the high court on the delay and hardship grounds. 

On Thursday, a three-member bench of the SC, headed by Justice Mushir Alam, heard Mr Shah’s bail petition. During the hearing Shah’s lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan said that the NAB had closed the inquiry against his client in 2014, and that all tax returns filed by him were on record. Justice Sardar Tariq, on the occasion, remarked that the point that had not been raised during hearing in a high court could not be raised in the SC as well.

When Justice Alam inquired from Mr Shah’s counsel as to when the reference had been filed against his client and when he was arrested, the lawyer replied that the reference had been filed on November 18, 2019 while the arrest had been made two months earlier on September 18, 2019. 

Makhdoom further said that his client had approached the high court only 30 days after his arrest. “How could the plea of ‘hardship’ be invoked for the bail when only 30 days had passed to his arrest?” he asked.

Justice Tariq replied why not the case should be sent back to the high court. “Raise these points of delay in the completion of trial, merit and hardship there. Even then if the high court does not grant bail, then you may come back to the apex court,” the judge said, and added the court did not want the high court’s doors closed for Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah. “If we quash PPP leader’s bail petition right now, he would be left with no legal option,” Justice Tariq remarked.

Reporter Amanat Gishkori