NAB to file report in graft case against former CS on March 22

The Sindh High Court on Thursday directed the National Accountability Bureau’s counsel to submit a report with regard to the filing of a reference against former provincial chief secretary Siddique Memon in a case pertaining to illegal regularisation of land.

The direction came on a petition filed by the former chief secretary against initiation of the NAB inquiry against him. Memon had assailed the anti-graft agency's probe against him with regard to allotment and regularisation of land in Sector 52-A Corridor, Scheme 33, in Karachi for residential and commercial purpose.

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that the anti-corruption watchdog had taken notice with regard to allotment and regularisation of the land in question to Mohammad Ayub. He submitted that the allotment of the land was cancelled but later on the application of Ayub for the allotment of the land was regularised in January 2008 by a committee headed by a retired judge of the high court.

He said the petitioner had neither any nexus with the original allotment nor he was a member of the committee which had regularised the aforesaid allotment as he was afterward posted as the secretary of the land utilisation department. Besides, he said, Memon did not benefit from either the allotment or the law by any means.

He further maintained that the anti-graft agency had been made aware of the regularisation process of the lands committee. He informed the court that two army officers from station headquarters and five 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.

The NAB counsel submitted that the matter against the former chief secretary had been sent to the NAB chairman after completion of investigation for action in accordance with the law. He said the inquiries regarding other co-accused had also been completed and references were to be filed against them. To a court query about the status of land, the NAB counsel said that allotment of the land had been cancelled.

The court directed the NAB counsel to submit a report with regard to filing of the reference against the petitioner and others, status of the land and role of the other committee members in allotment of the land on March 22.