SHC questions role of regularisation committee

Karachi
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday inquired from the investigation officer of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to explain as to why call-up notices were not issued to other members of the regularisation committee that regularised six acres of land in Scheme 33 except Sindh Chief Secretary, who had then been the secretary of provincial land utilisation department.
The court was hearing a petition filed by the Sindh Chief Secretary Mohammad Siddique Memon against NAB’s inquiry pertaining to the regularisation of six acres land in Scheme 33.
The chief secretary assailed the call-up notice of NAB pertaining to the allotment and regularisation of sic acres land in sector 52-A corridor area of Scheme 33 for residential and commercial purposes.
His counsel, Barrister Zamir Ghumro, submitted that NAB had taken cognisance with regards to allotment and regularisation of land in question to Mohammad Ayub. He stated that allotment of land was cancelled, but later on an application of Mr Ayub, the allotment was regularised in January 2008 by a committee headed by a retired judge of the Sindh High Court.
The counsel submitted that the petitioner neither had a connection with the original allotment nor was he a member of the lands committee that had regularised the aforesaid allotment, since afterwards he was posted as the secretary of land utilisation department. Besides, the petitioner was also not a beneficiary of the said allotment or any law whatsoever.
The chief secretary’s counsel, stated that NAB had also been aware of the regularisation process of the lands’ committee since two army officers from station headquarters and 5 corps were also its members, along with representatives of the finance and land utilisation departments. He said the process of allotment was completed after examination of all relevant record and clarification.
The counsel for NAB in the comments filed on behalf of the bureau in the petition stated that the regularisation committee had been deliberately misguided and facts were concealed from it. Besides, it was said that the allottee in connivance with government officials had managed to get verification of fake challans.
The NAB’s counsel requested the court to dismiss the petition of Sindh chief secretary who had had not come to court with clean hands. However, when the court asked about the role of other members of the regularisation committee who had regularised the allotment of six acres of land in Scheme 33, the deputy prosecutor general and NAB’s Investigation Officer could not reply.
To another query by the court about whether any call-up notices were issued to other members of the committee, NAB’s Investigation Officer submitted that he had not issued any call-up notices to any other members of the regularisation committee except the Sindh Chief Secretary. Then he sought time from the court to file additional comments.
The SHC division bench headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh extended the pre-arrest bail of chief secretary till October 10 and directed the Investigation Officer to submit details of regularisation committee’s record. The court also excused the petitioner from appearing in court hearings.