RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday restrained the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from taking coercive action against PML-N sitting MPA and former provincial minister Rana Mashood Ahmad Khan.

The court sought reply from the NAB on a point as to how an inquiry closed by its Executive Board Meeting (EBM) could be reopened.

The court also sought replies from the ministry of interior and director general of passport for placing the petitioner in blacklist by July 24. Earlier, Rana Mashood personally appeared before the court and pleaded against the call-up notices being issued to him by the NAB and placing of his name on no-fly or blacklist.

Rana Mashood replied in negative when court after going through his petition asked him, "Do you want pre-arrest bail?"

Rana said he just wanted the NAB to provide him with details and grounds on the basis of which it started to reinvestigate old charges against him. He said the NAB in 2017 had closed the same inquiry against him. His counsel Qazi Misbahul Hassan also presented a copy of the EBM minutes that approved closing of the inquiry into allegations of video clipping/illegal gratification, misuse of funds for flood donations and accumulation of assets beyond means. He however said the Board had referred the matter to the chief secretary for necessary action to the extent of violation of procurement rules by Punjab Sports Board in youth festivals.

When asked about the legitimacy of reopening a closed inquiry, a NAB prosecutor sought time from the bench to seek instructions on this point from the relevant authority.

Talking to media, Rana Mashood accused the government of resorting to vindictive actions against opposition and said he stopped travelling in his personal car since PML-N Punjab president Rana Sanaullah Khan had been arrested by ANF in a fake case of narcotics.