RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) Friday turned down the bail application of former provincial Secretary Transport Iqbal Bablani in a graft case and ruled that bail can’t be granted until the trial of accused is not completed in a subordinate court.

SHC resumed the hearing on the bail application of Bablani who has been charged with embezzling millions of rupees in purchase of vehicles in Transport Department.

The NAB prosecutor told the court that the bureau had collected solid evidence against former Secretary Transport Bablani’s alleged corruption in purchase of vehicles by Sindh Transport department. A reference was also filed against him in 2016 for awarding contacts during his tenure as secretary of provincial transport department causing losses amounting millions of rupees to the national exchequer.

Bablani has also been accused of misappropriation of hefty amounts from bus terminals established across Sindh several years back as well as embezzlement of funds from accounts of Sindh Road Transport Corporation and Karachi Transport Corporation.

SHC turned down the plea of accused on the ground that bail can’t be approved as trial in the said case is yet to be completed.

Meanwhile, SHC approved the protective bail of Secretary Sindh Local Government Ramzan Awan in a graft case and directed him to furnish surety bond of Rs 0.5 million. Awan had moved SHC following the arrest of his private Secretary Ramzan Solangi after NAB recovered millions of rupees in cash in local and foreign currency and other valuables from his possession last month.

Secretary Local Government feared arrest after NAB arrested his assistant, counsel of Awan submitted in the court and also stated NAB has sent his client the notice to appear before it despite the court’s orders restraining the bureau to do so in the last hearing. He said charges of corruption have been framed against his client in the remand documents of Ramzan Solangi although he had nothing to do with the large sum of cash recovered from the accused.