HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad circuit bench of the Sindh High Court on Friday granted pre-arrest bail to Shamsuddin Dal, former director of schools Hyderabad region, for a sum of Rs300,000 in a case lodged by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

A division bench comprising Justices Naimatullah Phulpoto and Rasheed Ahmad Soomro directed the petitioner to cooperate with the investigating agency and submit his passport to the court.

According to the constitutional petition Mr Dal had filed to seek pre-arrest bail, in his capacity as director of schools between Nov 11, 2011 and Dec 2012, he merely countersigned lists of eligible candidates who were being recruited by the then district education officer (DEO) of Tando Mohammad Khan under the orders of competent authority. The entire process was completed by the DEO.

He received a notice dated Jan 12, requiring him to appear before NAB authorities to record his statement as part of an investigation against officials of Tando Mohammad Khan district and education department.

He merely signed the lists forwarded by the deputy commissioner and never made any appointment himself, said the petition.

However, all necessary formalities for the appointment like advertisements, written test, interview and medical examination had been carried out, therefore, the question about supervisory role of the petitioner could not be raised.

The petitioner`s counsel Malik Altaf feared his client would be arrested and then coerced into recording statements as per whims of the respondents. Allegations levelled against the petitioner were vague in nature, he said.

He said that no specific misuse of authority had been cited against him nor any instance of embezzlement of funds had been claimed. No complaint whatsoever about misuse and abuse of power, corruption, corrupt practices or embezzlement had been received against him, he said.

He said the respondents had violated the dignity of the petitioner. The notices like the one sent to the petitioner lacked due process of law; the court [should] therefore declare the call-up notice as illegal and unlawful, he said.