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LUH MS gets pre-arrest bail in graft case

By Our Staff Correspondent 2015-08-26
HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Sindh High Court Hyderabad circuit on Tuesday granted pre-arrest bail to Liaquat University Hospital Me dical Superintendent Dr Khalid Qureshi in a sum of Rs500,000, restraining the respondents anti-corruption establishment (ACE) and health secretary from taking any coercive action against him.

The bench, comprising Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Nazar Akbar, was seized with a petition filed by Dr Qureshi against his possible arrest in a corruption case. It issued notices to the respondents for Sept 15.

Dr Qureshi was represented by advocate Usman Tuf ail Shaikh.

The bench directed the petitioner to join the investigation and appear before the respondents as and when he was called. The petitioner argued that he was posted as MS of the LUH on Feb6, 2015 and after 17 days, he was removed due to political influence on Feb 23. The Sindh chief secretary posted him MS on May 11 again, withdrawing the Feb 23 notification.

He said that a committee was formed by the health secretary to investigate financial irregularities while Dr Rafiq Khokhar was MS. He said the inquiry committee recommended action against Dr Rafiq Khokhar, but the ACE also included the petitioner`s name and proposed registration of FIR against him. He said that no role was assigned to him in the inquiry report and he was being victimised.

The MS said that such news was published in newspapers on Aug 20. He said he was being harassed through such acts. Pre-arrest bail was allowed to a petitioner in an identical case and he intended to seek the same relief from the court, he said. He said the respondents wanted to arrest him as his houses in Karachi and Hyderabad were raided.He asked the court to declare acts of the respondents for registration of FIR as illegal and mala fide. He requested the court to restrain the respondents from harassing him and his family.

He said the respondents should be restrained from taking any coercive action against him on the basis of recommendation of the chief secretary.

The respondents should be directed to produce before the court the material, if any, against him that connected him with the inquiry.

CBH seals eight outlets A team of the Cantonment Board Hyderabad (CBH) authorities led by Station Commander Brig Shahid Mehmood on Tuesday sealed eight shops and eateries in the Cantonment area for selling stuff amidst unhygienic conditions.

The team noted that food items were uncovered and washing area was not up to the mark.