Verdict: PHC sets aside jail sentence of former minister

Assets of Habibullah, including bank accounts, restored.

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court set aside the sentence awarded by an accountability court to former provincial minister Habibullah Kundi and restored his frozen assets, including his bank accounts.

The accountability court had announced a three-year jail term for the former minister after he failed to appear before the court in the Ring Road land purchase case.

The bench, comprising PHC Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Roohul Amin, directed the petitioner to appear before the court. When the hearing commenced on a writ petition filed by the former minister, his counsel Qazi Muhammad Anwar informed the court National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a reference against the petitioner in the case.

He argued that four others, including former chief minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and tehsildar Mausam Khan were nominated in the reference. Anwar said the remaining suspects were released by the court after the reference was finalised and hearing was completed by the accountability court. Meanwhile, the petitioner was sentenced to three years of imprisonment and his accounts were frozen.



He said the petitioner was a cardiac patient and was being treated abroad during the period at the time.

“He had just approved a summary and forwarded it to the then chief minister,” Anwar said. He requested the court to declare his sentence void. On the occasion, NAB spokesperson said the appeal was time-barred and should be dismissed immediately. The bench, after hearing arguments, set the sentence aside and ordered the petitioner to appear before the bench.

Green signal

The same bench ordered Workers Welfare Fund (WWF) to begin construction of Labour Colony on 400 kanals of land in Pezo, Lakki Marwat.

The orders were issued on a petition filed by Barrister Asad Saifullah through his counsel Qazi Ghulam Dastagir.

The bench was told that the petitioner has gifted 400 kanals of land for construction of Labour Colony. However, construction work could not begin despite passage of several years.

Dastagir said Workers Welfare Board had contacted WWF several times and requested for provision of funds to start work on the project. However, their efforts were in vain.

A representative of WWF told the bench Islamabad High Court had declared funds governing body null and void and constitution of new body would take time.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2016.