KARACHI: Former provincial minister Sharjeel Inam Memon was arrested by a National Accountabiliy Bureau (NAB) team hours after the Sindh High Court rejected his request to confirm his interim bail in a corruption reference.

The NAB team along with Rangers arrested the former minister from outside the court and moved him to NAB’s Sindh office. Sources say he will be presented in a NAB court tomorrow.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh dismissed the bail petitions of as many as thirteen accused persons, the PPP leader among them, after hearing arguments of their counsel.

A NAB team is expected to arrest him and other accused once they step out of the court premises.

Memon, who had returned to Pakistan in March this year after concluding his two-year long self-imposed exile, is facing several charges of misappropriation and corruption.

A reference filed against him related to the alleged award of government advertisements at exorbitant rates, causing loss of more than Rs five billion to the national exchequer.

Another case related to his alleged role in getting the state land allotted and adjusted in 43 Dehs at throwaway prices for a property developer, depriving the public exchequer of billions of rupees in revenue.