Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani has surrendered to the NAB after the Supreme Court ordered him to do so. The NAB team took Agha Durrani into its custody from outside the apex court building in Islamabad on Friday afternoon.

Earlier, the Supreme Court Agha Siraj Durrani to surrender before the National Accountability Bureau while rejecting his lawyer’s request pleading it to at least let his client surrender before the trial court, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered Mr Durrani to comply with the Sindh High Court order first and surrender before the NAB. It fixed Mr Durrani’s case for hearing next week. 

The apex court said that the Sindh High Court rejected the Sindh Assembly speaker’s bail application on merit. 

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah remarked that the apex court could not hear Mr Durrani’s case unless he complied with the SHC order first. He said when the SHC rejected his bail, he should be in jail. 

“Why Mr Durrani didn’t surrender. Why should we give him a special concession,” Justice Shah asked Mr Durrani’s lawyer. 

The apex court also rejected Mr Durrani’s lawyer plea that the speaker should not be arrested from the court premises.

A three-judge bench of the apex court headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial heard the case on Friday. He said the SC could not allow Mr Durrani to surrender before the trial court. We have to abide by the law, he added.

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Justice Shah remarked that the SC would take up his bail plea once he surrendered before the NAB authority. He wondered how it was possible that he submitted his post-arrest bail application after rejection of his bail plea by the SHC. 

The judge said that the accused did not surrender before the NAB. 

Mr Durrani’s lawyer said: “But his client has surrendered before the court.” He requested the bench to let him surrender at least before the trial court.

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On which Justice Shah remarked the court could not allow it. After that, the court adjourned the case hearing till next week.

Reporter Imanat Gishkori