Rs1b KMC funds lost to scam, court told

After the counsel for the Karachi Metropolitan informed the Sindh High Court on Tuesday that Rs1 billion from the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation's (KMC) funds was lost to a scam, the court instructed that the body was not to spend a penny from the grant by the government on anything but the payment of pensions.

A bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, stated this during the hearing of a plea pertaining to the non-payment of dues and pensions to retired KMC employees, and sought a report on the probe launched by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) into the fraud.

The court also directed the relevant persons to present a summary of the bailout package to the Sindh cabinet.

At the hearing, the Sindh chief secretary also appeared before the court, given that he had previously been issued a contempt notice.

"You take judicial orders so lightly that you don't even bother to appear before the court," the bench rebuked the secretary.

In turn, the government lawyer replied that the chief secretary had tendered an apology.

Unappeased though, the court remarked, "Who is supposed to have knowledge of court orders if not the chief secretary, and who is to appear before the court then, if not him?"

Following that, the government lawyer informed that court that a bailout package worth Rs4.2 billion was to be given to the KMC.

"What happened to the KMC's own funds?" the court enquired.

At this, the counsel for the KMC informed the court about the scam and that the FIA was investigating the matter.

Instructing that not the funds provided to the KMC by the government were to be spent on only pensions, the court sought a report on the FIA probe, the court adjourned the hearing for two weeks.

Also read: CM Sindh approves Rs170m grant for KMC

Havelian plane crash

Meanwhile, a two-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and comprising Justice Amjad Ali Sahito sought replies from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on a plea relating to Havelina plane crash.

The petitioner, Iqbal Kazmi, submitted a written reply to the court at the hearing.

Kazmi, who attended the hearing on a wheelchair and along with an oxygen cylinder, told the court upon enquiry that he had cancer.

Besides, CAA officials informed the court that the case relating to the Havelian crash had been transferred to a court in Islamabad.

When Justice Mazhar enquired who had inspected the crashed aircraft, the officials replied that it was PIA's responsibility to check planes.

At this, the counsel for PIA cited a report on the matter, stating that an internal fault in the aircraft's engine had been identified.

However, the pilot of the crash aircraft, Mansoor Janjua's mother claimed that aircraft weren't checked before flights.

Seeking replies from the CAA and PIA, the court adjourned the hearing until March 18.

CM's ineligibility

The same bench granted an extension to the Sindh government's lawyer for submitting a reply on plea moving the court to declare Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah ineligible for life.

The petitioner has maintained that despite being declared ineligible by the Supreme Court on May 2, 2013, Murad Ali Shah had still participated in the by-elections from Jamshoro in 2014.

At the hearing, assistant advocate general Shehryar Mehar said the Election Commission of Pakistan had submitted its reply.

"But why haven't you submitted a reply on the government's behalf yet?" Justice Mazhar enquired from him.

Stating this, the court granted an extension to the Sindh government's lawyer to submit a written reply on the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2021.