Accountability Court: Former govt lawyer convicted of pension fraud

Accused of drawing Rs3.9 million from her father’s pension by claiming to be unmarried, when in fact she was divorced.

LAHORE:

A former additional advocate general has been found guilty of fraud by drawing her late father’s pension when she wasn’t entitled to it.

Accountability Court Judge Mian Mureed Hussain on Friday convicted Seema Munawwar, daughter of the Lahore High Court’s Justice Munawwar Elahi, of drawing Rs3.9 million from her father’s pension by claiming to be unmarried, when in fact she was divorced. Only the widow, dependant children and unmarried daughters of pensioners are entitled to a share of the pension.

Munawwar has been sentenced to three years in jail and fined Rs3.9 million, the same amount she was found to have fraudulently claimed. If she cannot pay the fine, she will face another six months in prison. Munawwar asked the court to allow her to contact the LHC to get relief, but the judge denied her plea.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2011.