Pakistani media house editor remanded in judicial custody

Islamabad, April 30 (IANS) An Pakistan accountability court has sent Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman, the editor-in-chief of Jang Geo Media Group, to jail on judicial remand as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) did not seek his further custody in a 34-year-old case for illegally possessing a piece of land.

At the outset of the remand hearing, NAB Special Prosecutor Asim Mumtaz told the court on Tuesday that the suspect could not be brought for the hearing as he was admitted to a private hospital owing to bad health and also submitted a medical certificate, reports Dawn news.

The prosecutor asked the court to send the suspect on judicial remand as the bureau did not need him anymore for investigation.

However, Presiding Judge Jawadul Hassan expressed displeasure over the bureau for not presenting the suspect before the court and also refused to entertain the medical certificate of a private hospital.

Later, the NAB brought the suspect to the court in an ambulance from the hospital.

The prosecutor requested the court to permit the suspect to stay at the hospital during the judicial remand.

The judge turned down the request and observed that the NAB itself had the power to keep an under-trial prisoner at hospital.

Judge Hassan entrusted the custody of the suspect to superintendent of district jail with direction to produce him on May 12 without fail, said the Dawn news report.

On March 12, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested Rehman in connection with property allegedly bought illegally from a government entity more than 34 years ago.

According to a Jang Group spokesperson, the property was bought from a private party 34 years ago and all evidence of this was given to the NAB and legal requirements fulfilled, such as duty and taxes.

–IANS

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