SHC restrains ACE from action against builder

Karachi: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday restrained the Anti- Corruption Establishment (ACE) from taking any coercive action against a private builder in respect of an inquiry pertaining to the allotment of land in Malir.

Petitioner Irfan Wahid submitted that he was raising two projects in the Malir district in name of Malir Town Residency and Malir Town Phase-II Extension after acquiring land through due process of the law.

The petitioner’s counsel, Syed Mehmood Alam Rizvi, submitted that the petitioner was being harassed and coerced by ACE officials to pay illegal gratification. He said that the ACE conducted a raid on office of the petitioner without any formal complaint or registration of any case, took away various records and arrested an authorised representative, who was later released on furnishing a personal bond.

He said the ACE officer issued a letter to the petitioner, demanding various documents though neither the respondent was authorised by the law to conduct any such inquiry nor had the petitioner been informed about any complaint or the reason for such an inquiry. He said that earlier the ACE had issued notices and initiated inquires; however, the court issued necessary stay orders restraining the ACE from taking any coercive action against the petitioner in identical matters.

A division bench comprising Justice Mohammad Junaid Ghaffar and Justice Amjad Ali Sahito, after the preliminary hearing of the petition, issued notices to the advocate general of Sindh, the Sindh Building Control Authority and the ACE and called their comments.