LAHORE A Division Bench of Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday extended till Feb 25 the stay earlier granted to Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik against his conviction in the two references filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The Bench comprising Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif and Justice Manzoor Malik, however, turned down the Ministers request seeking exemption from personal appearance on next hearing date. The Bench also issued notice to NAB on his plea seeking permission to amend the main appeal against his conviction and to place some related documents on record. Talking to the media persons outside the court room, Rehman Malik said he always showed due regard to the judiciary and never tried to undermine it. He said: We will implement every judgement of courts. Leadership of PPP also decided to obey the decisions of the judiciary in their letter and spirit as, he said, doing so was critical for the survival of the country. All the institutions will have to work within their limits for the progress of the country, Malik added. In the first reference, Rehman Malik and others were accused of receiving two cars worth Rs 1,7,98,000 from one Saleem Godial of Toyota Central Motors, Karachi as illegal gratification on account of purchase of official vehicles by FIA worth millions of rupees from Toyota Motors. The second case was registered by FIA on the complaint of one Hashim Raza, a resident of Lahore. He alleged that Malik alongwith Muhammad Sajjad Haider, AD/FIA Islamabad and others raided his house in August 1994 and looted jewellery weighing 20 tolas of gold and Rs 7,00,000 in cash. The complainant further alleged that two persons in plain clothes snatched 20,000 US dollars from his brother when they transported him from Lahore Airport to FIA office on his (brother) arrival from US. According to NAB, Rehman Malik implicated them in fake cases to please a Major in Pakistan Army who had threatened him in 1990, claiming that Rehman was one of his best friends and he would teach him a lesson. Both these cases were initially tried by Special Court dealing with FIA cases but were transferred to Accountability Court after the promulgation of NAB Ordinance in 1999. Under National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) the proceedings in these references were stopped, however, after the judgment of Supreme Court against the Ordinance, the cases were reopened. Our Staff Reporter from Faisalabad adds: Rehman Malik on Tuesday appeared before the court of Special Central Anti-Corruption Judge, Tariq Mehmood Iqbal Khan, and obtained bail against surety bonds of Rs5,00,000. The minister was also directed to appear before the court on the next hearing on February 3. According to court sources, Rehman Malik, when he was Additional Director-General of FIA in 1999, had forced an aggrieved party to give statements in favour of the accused. However, the aggrieved party had got registered a case against Malik under Section 547/211. Maliks accomplice Inspector Shoukat Masood, who presented himself in the court, was exonerated, but Rehman Malik, who failed to turn up, had been declared proclaimed offender and his arrest warrants had been issued by the judge. After this, Interior Minister Malik presented himself in the court. The court granted him bail. February 3 has been fixed as next hearing of the case.