Karachi Bahria Town case: SC satisfied with payment of installments

ISLAMABAD: A three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) Friday expressed satisfaction over the payment being made by the Bahria Town management in connection with the Bahria Town Karachi and implementation of its decisions in letter and spirit.

The three-member implementation bench of the apex court headed by Justice Faisal Arab heard the Bahria Town Karachi case.

The court ruled that on the next date of hearing, others cases in this regard would be taken up. Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan and Barrister Ali Zafar, counsel for Bahria Town, appeared before the court. Justice Faisal Arab told Ali Zafar that the court had decided the case to the extent of Bahria Town Karachi and now it would examine whether the Bahria Town management was regularly paying installments.

He asked the counsel if he had details of bank statements. Ali Zafar said the details might be available with the registrar’s office but his client was regularly paying the required instalments.

“When is the next installment due?” asked the court to which the counsel replied that the next installment would be paid in November adding that they were paying Rs2 billion every month.

The counsel further informed the court that his client had instructed him that for next 10 months they would pay more than Rs2 billion in advance installment and will implement the orders of the court in letter and spirit. However, he requested the court to adjust the profit in the whole amount.

Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan submitted that the federal government had also filed an application with the court regarding the payment made so far to the court by the Bahria Town management.

Justice Faisal Arab told the AG that the apex court had made investment on the profit of the amount paid by the Bahria Town.

Justice Ijazul Ahsen observed that if the said amount went to the national exchequer, there would be no profit. However, he said after the Bahria Town had made the whole payment, the court would examine the plea of the government. Later the court adjourned the hearing for four weeks. In August, the federal government had moved the Supreme Court praying that the entire amount of Rs25 billion deposited by the Bahria Town management and held by the apex court be deposited in the public account of the federal government.