BoP scam: Supreme Court issues directives

While hearing identical petitions relating to the transfer of cases in the Bank of Punjab scam the Supreme Court issued directives to various private and official representatives to facilitate each other in the transfer of seven properties of defaulter Sheikh Haris to the purchaser before March 22.
Meanwhile a three-member bench of the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry categorically said: "Needless to observe, the Accountability Court or the High Court or any other Court, seized of the matter, shall dispose of the cases of the petitioner independently and without being influenced in any manner from the present proceedings".
The bench maintained that the Chairman of the Salvage Committee and the representatives of the owners and proprietors as well as the Bank of Punjab were directed to facilitate each other for effecting transfer before the competent authority. However, the District Co-ordination Officer, Lahore; Executive Officer, Cantonment Board, Lahore; and Secretary, DHA, Lahore were also directed to extend their full co-operation towards transferring the title of properties including 7 plots in DHA Lahore and one building and one plot in Lahore Cantt.
The counsel further stated that as far as the remaining properties were concerned, he being counsel for the owner, intended to raise objection on the auction because the amount was deposited after due date and no justification had been offered for not complying with the directions of the Chairman of the Salvage Committee, for which he needed time and adjournment.
At the outset of the hearing, counsel for the Bank of Punjab Rashdeen Nawaz apprised the bench that despite a lapse of considerable time, spreading over a period of about three years, the trial of Sheikh Muhammad Afzal and others had not yet commenced. Additional Deputy Prosecutor General (ADPG) NAB, who also appeared before the bench, was directed to proceed with the case pending against Sheikh Afzal and others by holding day-to-day proceedings.
Ahmed Owais, counsel for the Sheikh Haris, told the bench that he would sit down with the Bank authorities and try to settle the dispute with mutual understanding, saying that the petitioner had already filed an application for a plea bargain which was lying with the Chairman, NAB.
Expressing its dismay over the performance of NAB the bench directed the Chairman NAB to do the needful in accordance with law before the next date of hearing. Awais claimed that his client was being treated discriminately as there were so many other persons who had misappropriated/looted the properties/money belonging to the public deposited in Bank of Punjab, but no action was taken against them by the NAB authorities. The bench directed Awais to furnish such information/details to the ADPG NAB. The bench adjourned the case till March 28.