Court adjourns hearing of illegal plot allotment case till Mar 16

LAHORE: An accountability court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of illegal land allotment reference against Jang Group editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rehman, former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and others till March 16.

Accountability Court Judge Asad Ali conducted the case proceedings, wherein Mir Shakil, former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general Humayun Faiz and former Director Land Development Mian

Bashir Ahmed appeared and got their attendance marked.

An associate of Mir Shakil's counsel Advocate Amjad Pervaiz requested the court to adjourn the matter as the senior counsel could not appear today.

At this, the court expressed displeasure and remarked that the matter was fixed for today with consultation.

However, the counsel for Humayun Faiz and Mian Bashir completed cross examination from prosecution witnesses -Naib Tehsildar Haseeb Ahmad and Patwari Bashir Ahmed, during the proceedings.

Subsequently, the court adjourned further hearing till March 16 and directed the witnesses to ensure their presence on the next date of hearing for cross examination by counsel for Mir Shakil.

The court also summoned two more witnesses on the next date for recording their statements.

It is pertinent to mention here that former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Shrif was also nominated as accused in the reference and the court had issued his perpetual arrest warrants after declaring him absconder over non-appearance in the case. The bureau had also completed process for attachment of assets owned by Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.

The NAB had filed a reference against Mir Shakil and others. Besides Mir Shakil, former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general Humayun Faiz, former Director Land Development Mian Bashir Ahmed had been named as accused in Rs 143.5 million reference.

The NAB had alleged that Mir Shakil obtained illegal exemption of 54 plots of one-kanal each in Johar Town

Lahore, with the connivance of Nawaz Sharif, the then chief minister Punjab, in violation of the exemption policy in 1986. The Supreme Court had granted bail to Mir Shakil in the case.