Karachi
The special prosecutor for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday told the Sindh High Court (SHC) that it had approached the federal government for permission to formally initiate an inquiry against the Sindh chief secretary in a case related to regularisation of six acres of land in Scheme 33.
The court granted the NAB special public prosecutor more time to make a case, while adjourning the hearing till June 14, also extended CS Muhammad Siddique Memon's interim protective bail.
The petition with respect to the inquiry was filed by Memon himself. He had assailed NAB’s call up notice regarding allotment and regularisation of six acres land, located in sector 52-A Corridor, Scheme 33, for residential and commercial purposes.
The petitioner’s counsel maintained that NAB had taken cognizance of allotment and regularisation of land in question to Mohammad Ayub. He submitted that allotment of land was later cancelled but was regularised on Mr Ayub’s application in January 2008 by a committee headed by a retired judge of the high court.
He submitted that the petitioner had no connection with the original allotment nor was he a member of the lands committee who regularised the aforesaid allotment since he was posted as secretary Land Utilisation Department afterwards. Besides, he submitted that Memon did not benefit from either the allotment or the law by any means whatsoever.
He further maintained that the NAB had been made aware of the regularisation process of the lands committee. He informed the court that two army officers from station headquarter and 5 Corps were also members of the committee along with the finance and land department members and the process was completed after examination of all relevant record and clarification.
Special prosecutor NAB Mohammad Altaf sought further time to proceed on the matter as according to him permission was sought from federal government to initiate the inquiry. He submitted that inquiries regarding other co-accused had also been completed and references were to be filed against them.
NAB’s counsel had earlier submitted in court that the regularisation committee was deliberately misguided and facts were concealed from them. Besides, it stated that the allottee in connivance with government officials managed to get verification of fake receipts.
The NAB prayed to court to dismiss the petition of chief secretary who had allegedly not come clean in court and had filed a petition with malafide intentions only to hamper the proceedings of the inquiry.
Bail plea for Morai
Adjourning the hearing till June 22, the SHC directed the Rangers’ law officer to submit the joint investigation team’s (JIT) report investigating charges levelled against former chairman of Fishermen Cooperative Society (FCS) Nisar Morai on the next date of hearing.
The Rangers’ counsel had informed the court that Morai’s 90-day detention was due to expire on June 15.
The directives were given while hearing Dr Seema Naz’, spouse of Morai, petition maintaining that her husband was unlawfully arrested from Islamabad on March 10, and later brought to Karachi and detained for 90 days under the anti-terrorism law (ATA), on March 16. She informed the court that since his detention the family had not been able to meet him.
Dr Seema submitted that her husband was suffering from various ailments and required proper medical assistance.
She had requested the court to set the detention order aside and release him on bail besides a compensation of Rs50 million be paid to the family for illegally detaining her spouse.
The court was informed by Rangers’ counsel that Morai, stated to be close aide of Sindh’s top politician and former president, Asif Ali Zardari, was detained for questioning under the ATA for his involvement in criminal activities as well as his links with terrorists.
He further maintained that a JIT had almost completed its investigation against the detainee and would soon be filing a report. The Rangers’ law officer requested the court to dismiss the petition as not maintainable.
Rangers on March 16 had submitted before the administrative judge of the anti-terrorism court (ATC) that the detainee was involved in facilitating target killers, extortion and other offences which fell within the ambit of the ATA.