Chiniot mines case adjourned

LAHORE:An anti-corruption court on Friday adjourned the hearing of the Chiniot Mines and Minerals case against former PA Speaker Sibtain Khan and others until March 6.

Judge Muhammad Faisal Ahmad presided over the proceedings and expressed strong displeasure over the late arrival of the accused.The court directed them to ensure their presence by 9am at the next hearing.

It also noted that copies of the challan would be distributed at the next session, emphasising the mandatory attendance of all accused.The case, previously under the jurisdiction of an accountability court, was transferred to the anti-corruption court on October 9, 2024, following the reinstatement of certain amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance 1999. Besides Sibtain Khan, other accused in the case include Salman Ghani, Muhammad Aslam, Abdul Sattar Mian, and Imtiaz Ahmad Cheema.

Sibtain Khan is accused of misusing his authority in 2007 to award a multi-billion-rupee contract to a firm of his choice while serving as Punjab’s Minister for Mines and Minerals under the PML-Q government. The firm allegedly had a paid-up capital of only Rs2.5 million and lacked the necessary experience for the project.