The Sindh High Court on Friday granted 10-day protective bail to former federal minister Babar Ghauri in a corruption reference and a money laundering and terror financing case after his counsel said he was to return the country on Jan 30.
A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro said that the bail was subject to furnishing a solvent surety of Rs200,000 in each case and the same will cease to exist on Feb 5 or on surrender of ex-minister before relevant courts.
The bench in its order noted that the applicant was currently in Dubai and moved the SHC through his daughter and apprehended his arrest at the time of arrival at airport on Jan 30 and sought protective bail in both cases.The lawyer for petitioner, Shabbir Shah, argued that earlier his client had also filed an identical petition and on June 22, 2022 the SHC had granted him 15-day bail and he returned to the country, but arrested at the airport by police in some terrorism related cased in which he was exonerated.
He submitted that thereafter, the former shipping minister had left Pakistan apprehending his arrest in some other cases and since then he was under treatment in Dubai and wishing to return to the country again to surrender before the trial courts and sought protection.
Without touching the merits of the cases, the bench granted him protective bail till Feb 5.
