PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has granted interim pre-arrest bail to the former incharge of the provincial Katchi Abadis Authority's (KAA) land management cell in illegal land transfer scam.
Headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, the bench granted bail to Dr Kamran Awan against a surety of Rs1 million till December 22.
Awan, who is currently serving as the deputy director in the labour department, had approached the court against the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for issuing him call-up notices in connection with an inquiry into alleged illegal process of disputed plots (No 392 to No 414) in Moosa Goth katchi abadi of the North Nazimabad neighbourhood.
The bureau alleged that the petitioner, while posted as accounts officer and incharge of the KAA's land management cell, had processed the plots' file and mutated despite the fact that the same was under litigation before the SHC.
He had also illegally issued the no-objection certificate for the building plan, petrol pumps and CNG filling stations, multi-storey flats contrary to the terms and conditions of the original lease without approval from the competent authority.
His lawyer, Khawaja Naveed Ahmed, said another officer, Dr Asghar, who was also issued a call-up notice, had already been granted bail before arrest by the court. He pleaded the petitioner's case may also be treated on the same footing and he be granted bail.
Issuing notices to the deputy attorney-general and NAB special prosecutor, the bench granted bail to Awan against a sum of Rs1 million till December 22. Also ordering Awan to deposit his original passport with the SHC's Nazir, the court ordered the interior secretary to ensure that no new or fresh passport or any other travel document is issued to him until further orders.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 5th, 2015.
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