SHC issues warrants for West District DC

Bench irked over district's executive head ignoring court summons in Gulshan-e-Kaneez Fatima Society case


Our Correspondent October 16, 2021

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KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued an arrest warrant for the West District Deputy Commissioner Shehryar Gul Memon on a petition filed against illegal allotment, alleged corruption in funds, and encroachment in Gulshan-e-Kaniz Fatima Society.

The apex court summoned DC Memon on the next hearing along with the record. A two-member bench headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmad Abbasi heard the petitions of Badar Saeed and others regarding illegal allotment, alleged corruption in funds, and encroachment in Gulshan-e-Kaniz Fatima.

The court expressed ire over the absence of DC. The counsel for the petitioners Usman Farooq, Advocate argued that Mahmood Akhtar, administrator of Gulshan-e-Kaniz Fatima Society, and others have sold off welfare and amenity plots.

He further said that the society's administration has not carried out any development work for decades. Moreover, the National Acco9untability Bureau (NAB) has opened an investigation into the alleged corruption of the society's administrator and his coterie.

"We want to present evidence to the NAB against the administration of the society. The court issued a bailable warrant against DC Memon and adjourned the hearing

Nisar Morai sentence reduced by three years

An SHC bench has commuted the sentences of the Fishermen Cooperative Society former chairman Nisar Morai and others from seven to four years on appeals against the verdict on amassing assets beyond known means of income and misuse of authority.

Read More: SHC seeks report on BRT route houses

A bench comprising Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Shamsuddin Abbasi ruled on plea filed by Morai and other defendants regarding the sentence.

The trial court had sentenced Morai, Qamar Siddiqui, Haji Wali Muhammad, Shaukat Hussain, and Imran Afzal to seven years in jail. According to NAB, Nisar Morai made 143 illegal recruitments in fisheries and made 20 people permanent. The accused had illegally recruited 380 people. The reference was filed in 2018 against the accused.

Under-trial period counted as sentence

An SHC bench released an under-trial prisoner who had spent 18 months in jail though his sentence for the offence was 12 months. The counsel for Muhammad Nasir, facing charges of possessing 110 grammes of heroin, told the court that his client was arrested on February 5, 2020. The case was registered at the Baghdadi Police Station. The trial stretched for months and finally, the court handed Nasir a one-year imprisonment sentence, whereas, he had clocked more than the sentenced period behind bars, therefore he should be set free, the defence counsel said.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice KK Agha ruled that the time spent by the accused in jail be declared as punishment. The citizen may be released if there aren't any other cases against him, the bench said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2021.

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