LAHORE: A special banking crime court on Thursday confirmed the interim bail of two accused in prohibited foreign funding registered against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore.
Banking Crime Court Judge Aslam Gondal heard the pre-arrest bail applications of all accused and announced the verdict after hearing detailed arguments put forward by both the parties. The court confirmed interim bail of Tariq Shafi, and bank officer Asad Kakakhel against the surety bonds of Rs1 million each.
One of the accused – Mubashir Ahmad – withdrew his bail application.
Both Tariq Shafi and bank officer Asad Kakakhel appeared before the court during the hearing while Mubashir Ahmad did not show up. Advocate Mian Ashfaq and Advocate Mian Sohail represented Tariq and Asad in the court.
Both the counsels argued that allegations of prohibited funding against their clients were baseless. They pleaded with the court to confirm the interim bail of their clients as co-accused Hamid Zaman had already been granted bail in the case.
However, FIA prosecutor opposed confirmation of the interim bail.
During the hearing, the counsel for accused Mubashir Ahmad sought permission to withdraw the bail application of his client as he repeatedly failed to appear in the court.
Subsequently, the court confirmed interim bail of Tariq and Asad, and dismissed as withdrawn bail application of Mubashir Ahmad.
The FIA alleged that Tariq Shafi got registered a bogus trust to give an impression that same is part of the PTI in the name of “The Insaf Trust” as chairman with Ashiq Hussain Qureshi as deputy chairman, Hamid Zaman as general secretary, Manzoor Ahmad Chaudhry and Mubashir Ahmad as trustees. It says the funding received in the trust was used for political campaigns of the PTI.
The agency further alleges that the suspects and Arif Naqvi of Abraaj group in collusion with the PTI leadership and others committed a fraud.
