Appearance: Court gives Pervaiz Rasheed one month

Initiates proceedings to declare senator proclaimed offender if he is absent.

LAHORE:

A Banking Court judge on Wednesday initiated proceedings to declare PML-N senator and spokesman of the Punjab government Pervaiz Rasheed a proclaimed offender in a loan recovery case.

Judge Amjad Pervez said that the senator would be declared a proclaimed offender if he did not appear before the court.

Zarai Taraqqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) had filed a loan recovery case against Senator Rasheed and five others, accusing them of a Rs7.79 million loan default. The court directed the authorities concerned to make ensure the presence of the accused before the court by October 22.

The ZTBL case names Senator Rashid, Pir Shoukat Hussain Shah, Abida Khanum, Shabnum Arshad, Tehmina Tariq, Shehla Rohail and Humaira Talib as defaulters.

The bank said that the respondents had obtained a Rs7.79 million loan for an agricultural project on December 16, 1987, but had not paid a single instalment. It said that the respondents had also moved machinery and infrastructure from the project site that had been pledged to the bank. It requested the court to recover Rs24.1 million, including mark up, from the respondents.

On Wednesday, the judge ordered that proclamation notices be affixed at conspicuous places in Lahore, Rawalpindi-Islamabad and the houses and farmhouses of the respondents. The judge also ordered the authorities concerned to affix copies of these notices at conspicuous sites on the court complex and in the parliament enclave and also issue them through print and electronic media.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd, 2011.