Court issues notice to NAB on plea of real estate tycoon.

ISLAMABAD -- Real estate tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain on Tuesday sought permanent exemption from personal appearance before an accountability court in the Bahria Icon Tower reference.

When Advocate Farooq H. Naek filed attorney papers (wakalatnama) on behalf of Mr Riaz, Judge Mohammad Bashir of the accountability court inAAquired about Ali Riaz, son of the real estate developer, who is also an accused in the reference.

The counsel requested the court not to issue arrest warrants for Ali, assuring the judge that he would file wakalatnama on his behalf at the next hearing.

When the judge inquired about absconding accusAAed Manzoor Qadir Kaka, the NAB prosecutor said Kaka had absconded to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The court then issued a notice to the National AccountAAAAability Bureau on Mr Riaz's application seeking permanent exemption from attendance in this case.

According to the NAB reference, the accused persons caused a loss of over Rs100 billion to the national exchequer through illegal allotment of an...