Forged documents? No NOC issued for Imran’s Bani Gala mansion, SC told
Former Bhara Kahu UC officials say they did not write or sign permission documents
PTI Chief Imran Khan. PHOTO: PTI OFFICIAL
ISLAMABAD:
Permission documents pertaining to the construction of PTI chief’s palatial house in Bani Gala have been termed as fake by former officials of the Bhara Kahu union council.
This was disclosed in a report of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Chief Commissioner Office which was submitted to the Supreme Court by Additional Attorney General Syed Nayyar Abbas Rizvi on Wednesday.
A three-judge bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, is expected to take up the case on Thursday (today).
Former Bhara Kahu Union Council (UC) chairman and secretary, in their separate statements, said that neither had they issued the no-objection certificate (NOC) nor had they approved the site plan for construction of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan’s 300 kanal mansion.
Yaqoob Malik, the former Bhara Kahu UC chairman, stated in his written statement that during his tenure as UC chairman from 1987 to 1991, he did not issue the NOC for building the house in Bani Gala.
He, however, admitted that someone had managed to obtain a letter from his office with his signatures on it, but termed the document as ‘falsely prepared’.
“My name on the NOC letter is incorrect,” Malik pointed out, adding that according to his information Imran had purchased the property sometime after 2002.
Muhammad Umar, the former Bhara Kahu UC secretary, confirmed that he had held the post is 2003. He testified that the writing on the document, which had been furnished to the SC, was not issued by them.
Umar, however, recalled that at the time, they did not have computers in the UC office. Hence, all official correspondences were carried out using handwritten letters.
Moreover, he recalled that the applicant had been asked to submit the site plan so that it could be forwarded to the relevant authorities for further process, but the plan was never submitted. Curiously, Umar added that no further action was taken on it.
The SC had on February 22 directed Imran’s counsel Babar Awan to have the NOC and site plan of Imran’s mansion verified by the UC.
The bench had taken up a suo motu notice on a letter written by Imran inviting the court’s attention towards unchecked and unplanned construction in the Bani Gala area along with large-scale tree felling and pollution of the Rawal Lake.
At the last hearing of the case, Awan had furnished the site plan, an NOC dated July 2, 1990, and a proper notification certificate in favour of Imran dating to 2003. The documents had been provided in compliance with past orders of the three-judge bench.
The court, however, had asked whether the site plan had been formally been approved, and directed the Islamabad Administration to confirm it.
Islamabad additional commissioner in his report stated that Imran’s former wife Jemima Khan had purchased land measuring 300 kanals and five marlas for Rs43.536 million.
The report further reveals that when the land was purchased, neither was an NOC from the Ministry of Interior nor a Pakistani identification document of Jemima was produced before the revenue officer.
Moreover, it says that when land was purchased, Jemima did not appear before the revenue officer. Curiously, no one appeared on her behalf in the four subsequent property mutations. Only Major (retired) Pervaiz Malik appeared for one of the mutations.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 1st, 2018.
Permission documents pertaining to the construction of PTI chief’s palatial house in Bani Gala have been termed as fake by former officials of the Bhara Kahu union council.
This was disclosed in a report of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Chief Commissioner Office which was submitted to the Supreme Court by Additional Attorney General Syed Nayyar Abbas Rizvi on Wednesday.
A three-judge bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, is expected to take up the case on Thursday (today).
Former Bhara Kahu Union Council (UC) chairman and secretary, in their separate statements, said that neither had they issued the no-objection certificate (NOC) nor had they approved the site plan for construction of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan’s 300 kanal mansion.
Yaqoob Malik, the former Bhara Kahu UC chairman, stated in his written statement that during his tenure as UC chairman from 1987 to 1991, he did not issue the NOC for building the house in Bani Gala.
He, however, admitted that someone had managed to obtain a letter from his office with his signatures on it, but termed the document as ‘falsely prepared’.
“My name on the NOC letter is incorrect,” Malik pointed out, adding that according to his information Imran had purchased the property sometime after 2002.
Muhammad Umar, the former Bhara Kahu UC secretary, confirmed that he had held the post is 2003. He testified that the writing on the document, which had been furnished to the SC, was not issued by them.
Umar, however, recalled that at the time, they did not have computers in the UC office. Hence, all official correspondences were carried out using handwritten letters.
Moreover, he recalled that the applicant had been asked to submit the site plan so that it could be forwarded to the relevant authorities for further process, but the plan was never submitted. Curiously, Umar added that no further action was taken on it.
The SC had on February 22 directed Imran’s counsel Babar Awan to have the NOC and site plan of Imran’s mansion verified by the UC.
The bench had taken up a suo motu notice on a letter written by Imran inviting the court’s attention towards unchecked and unplanned construction in the Bani Gala area along with large-scale tree felling and pollution of the Rawal Lake.
At the last hearing of the case, Awan had furnished the site plan, an NOC dated July 2, 1990, and a proper notification certificate in favour of Imran dating to 2003. The documents had been provided in compliance with past orders of the three-judge bench.
The court, however, had asked whether the site plan had been formally been approved, and directed the Islamabad Administration to confirm it.
Islamabad additional commissioner in his report stated that Imran’s former wife Jemima Khan had purchased land measuring 300 kanals and five marlas for Rs43.536 million.
The report further reveals that when the land was purchased, neither was an NOC from the Ministry of Interior nor a Pakistani identification document of Jemima was produced before the revenue officer.
Moreover, it says that when land was purchased, Jemima did not appear before the revenue officer. Curiously, no one appeared on her behalf in the four subsequent property mutations. Only Major (retired) Pervaiz Malik appeared for one of the mutations.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 1st, 2018.