LAHORE: The interim bail of three accused suspects in foreign funding case was granted an extended bail till 23 January by Special Courts (Offences in Banks). The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore registered a case against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders.
On the following hearing date, the court requested the FIA prosecutor’s closing arguments. Judge Aslam Gondal of the Banking Offence Court heard the pre-arrest bail requests of the defendants Tariq Shafi, Mubashir Ahmad, and Bank officer Kaka Khel.
When their interim bail terms expired, the defendants Tariq Shafi and Kaka Khel appeared in court and had their attendance noted. Mubashir Ahmad, the alleged offender, did not appear. The attorney for Mubashir applied for an exemption and asked the judge to excuse his client from making a personal appearance for one day.
The accused had also failed to show up for the prior hearing, the judge stated. Moreover, the Judge added, that the bail application would be denied if he did not show up for the subsequent hearing date.
The FIA prosecutor requested more time to prepare his or her responses to the accused’s bail request. The request was granted, and the hearing was postponed until January 23.
The FIA claimed that Tariq Shafi formed a fictitious trust under the name “The Insaf Trust” with Ashiq Hussain Qureshi serving as chairman, Manzoor Ahmad Chaudhry and Mubashir Ahmad serving as trustees, and Tariq Shafi serving as vice chairman.
It claimed that the money given to the trust went toward the PTI’s electoral campaigns. The agency further said that Arif Naqvi of the Abraaj Group and the suspects conspired to commit fraud with the PTI leadership and others.
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