SC orders FIA action over irregularities in ETPB properties

Apex court seeks details of fund set to help victims of Peshawar church attack

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to take action on the report of the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) regarding alleged irregularities in property units of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).

During hearing of the sumo motu case regarding the Kark Hindu Temple, a two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, instructed the FIA director general to submit report with the bench regarding the 7,143 property units of the ETPB within one month.

The bench ordered the AGP to complete the audit report of the property of the ETPB within two months. In this regard, the bench directed the ETPB chairman to ensure provision of all record to the AGP. The bench also directed the FIA to assist the ETPB in the evacuation of its property.

Akram Chaudhry, the lawyer for the ETPB, informed the bench that his department had submitted the property’s details on directives of the bench, adding that the trust owned a total of 48,000 properties, out of which only three properties were sold.

The bench was informed that an audit of the properties was also done in the past on the directives of the apex court. The minority commission said that in the AGP report irregularities were found in 7,143 properties worth Rs77 billion. It added that the AGP was provided less than 50% of the record.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh produced the report on the directives of the court, regarding an attack on minority leader Dr Ramesh Kumar. The report said the police had registered the first information report (FIR) on the application of Dr Kumar.

However, Dr Kumar’s opponent, Sajid Mehmood, also appeared before the court and adopted the stance that he was a neighbour of Dr Kumar and that Dr Kumar and his guards had harassed him. The Chief Justice observed that if they were neighbours, they should resolve the dispute mutually.

The bench was further informed that the Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the case after the Peshawar church attack. The bench heard that the federal and provincial governments had set up a joint fund of Rs100 million but the amount had not been distributed among injured of the attack.

The court sought details of the fund set up for the victims after the Peshawar church attack. The bench further heard that the Jain Temple and the Nila Gumbad in Lahore were in dilapidated condition. Further hearing of the case was adjourned for one month.

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)