A Karachi accountability court has ordered the authories concerned to attach properties of Zain Malik, a builder and the son-in-law of Malik Riaz, in a case pertaining to the illegal amalgamation of commercial land for a multi-storeyed building in Karachi.
According to local media reports, the issue was presented before the accountability court-III judge Sher Bano Karim on Saturday, who noted that Malik was missing.
It may be mentioned here that NAB claims that Malik is absconding since the present reference was filed in June 2019 whereas Former Karachi mayor and Pak Sarzameen Party chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal, former Karachi district coordination officer Fazlur Rehman, former executive district officer Iftikhar Qaimkhani are also among those nominated in the case.
During the hearing today, the investigating officer of the case filed a compliance report regarding the completion of the process of Malik’s proclamation under Section 87 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), as ordered by the court in a previous hearing.
The judge directed the IO to initiate the process of attachment of properties of the suspect, as required under the Section 88 of the CrPC and submit a compliance report on the next date.
The hearing was adjourned till February 20.
In September 2020, the defence counsel for Zain Malik had withdrawn an application seeking his client’s acquittal in the present case, informing the court that he might opt for a plea bargain.