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Family, counsel allowed to see Mahtab during Eid holidays

Iqbal Khattak

Peshawar: The Prosecutor-General of National Accountability Bureau, Farooq Adam Khan, on Friday told a single bench of Peshawar High Court that all legal requirements were met to arrest former NWFP chief minister Mahtab Ahmed Khan.

Adam Khan said that Mahtab was taken into custody on the directive of the NAB authorities. "He was arrested on corruption charges and that his arrest warrant was issued," he argued in petition of Ishtiaq Sardar, brother of Mahtab.

"All the legal requirements were met," he added.

Hearing a petition challenging detention of Mahtab, Mr Justice Azam Khan, however, allowed three-hour meeting between family members and Mahtab on Eid days and an hour with counsel at Tatara police station.

The court also gave the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) 15 days to submit comments on arrest of the former NWFP chief minister.

The NAB prosecutor-general told the court that it was not the case of habeas corpus. "Mahtab was arrested under NAB Ordinance and he can be detained for 90 days."

He prayed the court to dismiss the petition. "The petition is not maintainable in the given circumstances," the NAB prosecutor-general argued.

The former NWFP chief minister was arrested on December 27 on charges of corruption in Hazara and was shifted to Tatara police station.