SHC gives govt three days to pay blood money on behalf of prisoners

Sindh Cabinet has approved payments, delay due to bureaucratic red-tape: Sindh AAG

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered the Sindh government on Tuesday to pay Rs330 million blood money in three days on behalf of the 37 prisoners, whose release is pending because of their fine and blood money being unpaid.

A divisional bench headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh and comprising Justice Omar Sial heard the plea regarding delays in the release of prisoners due to non-payment of blood money.

Sindh Additional Advocate-General (AAG) Mustafa Mahesar informed the court that the Sindh Cabinet has approved the payment of blood money but it could not be paid due to bureaucratic delays.

Expressing wonder at the bureaucracy creating obstacles even in a matter of human rights, CJ Sheikh remarked, “they will understand if they had to be in jail for one day”.

Sindh home department deputy secretary said that four out of 37 prisoners had filed appeals in the high court against the decision of the subordinate courts. The orders passed for the payment of blood money should be deferred till the verdicts on the four appeals are not announced, he argued.

Blood money to be paid by these four prisoners - Allah Bakhsh, Irfan, Muhammad Aslam and Hanif - is over Rs140m.

SHC orders Sindh govt to pay blood money on behalf of poor prisoners

CJ Sheikh ordered for Rs330m blood money to be paid within three days on behalf of 37 prisoners and make laws to determine the ages of prisoners and payment of blood money on their behalf. Hearing was adjourned till May 7.

‘Roshan Sindh’ project

The same bench issued notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor-general on Tuesday over the bail pleas filed by the accused in the case pertaining to corruption in the solar light installation project ‘Roshan Sindh’.

The counsel for the accused maintained that the solar lights have been installed.

“Exactly, because all of Sindh has become bright. You should go and see yourself that Sindh starts shining just as the sun sets in the evening,” remarked CJ Sheikh.

Accused’s counsel maintained that the court could order an inquiry about it at any level.

CJ Sheikh remarked that if an inquiry was carried out, the accused’s counsel would scream out of fear. “Don’t talk about what you can’t bear,” he said.

The accused’s counsel said that NAB transferred this inquiry to the fake accounts case. “NAB chairperson did not have the authority to transfer the inquiry,” he argued.

“What does a civil engineer have to do with the street lights?” asked CJ Sheikh.

 The court issued notice to NAB prosecutor-general for May 7.

According to NAB, Rs4b was the cost of the ‘Roshan Sindh’ project for the installation of solar street lights throughout the province. Complaints of corruption in the project have been received on a large scale.

Corruption reference

SHC ordered NAB officials on Tuesday to submit a report after filing the reference against former provincial minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar by May 21.

Premature release: SHC seeks comments on plea for release of aged inmates

NAB prosecutor argued, before the same bench, that the investigations against the accused had been completed and the reference has been prepared. The matter was forwarded to the legal team to examine the reference relating to owning assets more than income.

Court directed NAB officials to submit a report after filing the reference against the former minister by May 21.

According to NAB, Lanjar was involved in corruption and abuse of power. Evidence regarding Lanjar’s purchase of a bungalow in Karachi’s Defence Housing Society has been found. Lanjar transferred money from public funds to his account through a front man. The former minister is accused of having taken money from Nawabshah Medical College funds and other funds. Of the funds reserved for the former, Rs130m was transferred to Lanjar’s account as well as Rs170m from public funds.

The court adjourned hearing till May 21.

Contempt of court plea

Another bench of high court, comprising Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Mehmood A Khan, gave two weeks’ time to the Sindh education and literacy department to submit the progress report with regards to the contempt of court plea against education secretary and others over the non-evacuation of Islamia College Building.

Counsel for the petitioner argued that the court had ordered to evacuate the New Islamia College and Schools but judicial orders of May 2013 have not been implemented.

The court gave a final warning to the education and literacy department to submit the progress report in two weeks. The court remarked that the education secretary would have to appear before the court if the report was not submitted.

The contempt of court plea filed by Islamic Education Trust also nominated the principals of Islamia Science and Commerce College’s morning and evening shifts.

The court adjourned hearing till May 21.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2019.