Hamesh gets no assurance from SC

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notices to Chairman National Accountability Bureau and Director General Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to apprise of it on April 7 over Hamesh Khan case, former president of Bank of Punjab.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry adjourned hearing of Hamesh Khans plea, to get assurance from the apex court not to be handcuffed on his return to Pakistan, and fixed hearing with the main case related to Rs 9 billion loan scam of Haris Steel Mills.
Mehmood A Sheikh, counsel for Hamesh Khan, apprised the bench that his clients extradition process would take at least six weeks. He prayed to the court that an order be passed that after his handing over to Pakistani authorities, he should not be handcuffed. To benchs query, he replied that during his meeting with concerned authorities of NAB, he had realised their intention to handcuff his client. He also admitted that his client was under constraint orders and could not move without informing authorities there.
How can we pass such an order? We will not pass an order which cannot be implemented, the Chief Justice remarked.
Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday observed if he (Hamesh) ran away, who would be responsible and who would handcuff him. The concerned authority can decide whether or not to handcuff a person, he added.
It is relevant to mention here that Hamesh has been facing charges of issuing loans of Rs 9 billion and taking commission of Rs 500 million for it. He escaped from the country despite the fact that his name was put on the Exit Control List. On September 27, 2007, the NAB Punjab had filed a reference in an accountability court against 12 people including six officials of Bank of Punjab (BoP) and six others accused of Rs 9 billion fraud.