Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Chairman Muhammad Zafar-ul-Haq Hijazi. Photo: File

 

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) accepted on Tuesday the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Chairman Zafar Hijazi?s request for pre-arrest bail.

The IHC registrar raised objections on the petition and advised Hijazi?s counsel to approach the ?relevant forum for the matter.? However, the hearing was later fixed for the court of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani with the registrar's objections.

Hijazi had filed for a pre-arrest bail as per Section 498 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Pakistan. The SECP chief?s counsel, Sheikh Ansar, cited medical grounds as the basis for the request.

As per the plea, the jail environment was not conducive to Hijazi?s health, as he was on medication after a kidney transplant.

Hijazi?s request further stated that he wanted to be part of the investigation to ?prove all allegations levelled against him wrong.? 

An FIR was registered against Hijazi on the directives of the Supreme Court on Monday for tampering with official records.

Acting upon the apex court?s orders, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) filed the case with the Special Investigation Unit.

SECP chief guilty of tampering records: FIA

Zafar Hijazi has been found guilty of pressuring junior officers to tamper records in favour of Sharif family

The FIA had identified Hijazi as the culprit behind changing official records of the Chaudhry Sugar Mills, owned by the Sharif family, to help their case.

The criminal case was registered against Hijazi under sections 466 and 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Section 466 lists a seven-year imprisonment and fine for those who forge a legal document, while section 471 punishes in the same manner for using as genuine a forged document.