No to amenities for Afghan refugees

Court suspends controversially-themed event

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) rejected a plea to provide amenities to Afghan citizens residing in refugee camps in Pakistan, while remarking that Pakistan was not a global orphanage that it could house everyone.

A two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Shaikh, heard the petition.

The petitioner's counsel stated that Afghan refugees living in camps lack access to facilities. He said that cases were registered against them rather than treating them fairly according to the law. The counselor stated that lack of medical resources caused the death of three Afghans at Landhi Jail.

Additionally, juveniles were being fined and imprisoned. The petition claimed that the international community's aid was not being used effectively to aid Afghan refugees.

The court remarked that Pakistan was not a worldwide orphanage that would provide refuge for everyone and rejected the petition at the preliminary hearing.84 in the dock for pension scam

Meanwhile, in the Accountability Court postponed the hearing on the request of the lawyers on the interim bail application of the accused involved in the reference against 84 accused including the former deputy secretary finance, Amir Zia Asran, in the fake pension scandal of over Rs3 billion.

A hearing was held in front of the Karachi Accountability Court. NAB submitted the reply. The court adjourned the hearing of the reference till February 17 on the request of the accused's lawyers.

Co-accused in the reference including Khurshid Chandio, Imdad Memon Ashraf Janwari and others have obtained interim bail. Other 17 accused including the co-accused Riyaz Khoso in the reference have filed a request to get their account forensic.

The defence lawyers mentioned that the account was opened in the name of his clients, but they did not know about it.

According to NAB, the accused Amir Asran was posted in Planning and Development.

NAB arrested the accused Amir Asran from Jinnah International Airport on his return from the United States. He is accused of being involved in a fake pension scam. Amir Asran and others are accused of causing a loss of over Rs3 billion to the national exchequer.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th, 2023.