NPF secret deal: Settlement made public but no action taken yet
Court requests list of allottees, statements of individuals concerned in scam.
The bench asks FIA to maintain criminal charges till end of SC hearings. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court on Monday gave a breather to an incumbent MNA seeking reelection as the hearing in a land fraud case involving a government employee welfare organisation was adjourned for two weeks without any adverse order against him.
Anjum Aqeel Khan, the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNA for Islamabad’s NA-48 seat, is accused of defrauding the National Police Foundation (NPF) of billions of rupees.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has taken up the issue of a hushed-up recent out-of-court settlement agreement between Khan and the NPF in the Rs6 billion land fraud case.
The bench, also including justices Gulzar Ahmed and Sheikh Azmat Saeed, took serious note of the agreement between the two parties while suo motu proceedings were pending in the court, but the only action taken was issuing notices to former Interior Secretary Siddiqur Akbar in his capacity as NPF chairman, former Islamabad IGP Bani Amin, former NPF MD Zahid Mehmood, NPF Housing Director Tariq Hanif Joya, and Khan for their responses.
However, the bench also directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general not to drop the criminal case against Khan as long as proceedings against him were pending before the apex court.
The chief justice took up the issue on April 26, 2013 following media reports regarding a clean chit being given to Khan by the NPF, who had filed a complaint against him for failing to provide 45 kanals which had been paid for by the foundation as part of their housing scheme in E-11. The shortage of land left 59 allottees without plots.
Under the agreement that was produced before the court on Monday, the NPF decided to get 22 kanals from the ex-MNA along with 16 flats in Khan’s Khudadad Heights apartment complex in the same sector.
The media reports had stated that under the agreement, the NPF decided to withdraw the complaint against Khan and reach a compromise based on the price of the 45 kanals when the fraud occurred, rather than current market price.
The bench also directed the NPF to provide lists of the affected members of the foundation, those who obtained multiple plots, and those who received plots without being entitled to them under NPF bylaws. The SC will issue notices to these persons after getting their names.
During the course of proceedings, a retired superintendent of police (SP) Raja Muhammad Ayub, 85, appeared before the bench and complained that he got possession of his plot after paying Rs1.1 million and raised the boundary walls, but now the NPF was bent upon depriving him of the plot.
He said it was not his fault if a private party had a land dispute with the NPF and litigation was ongoing. He urged the court to direct the foundation not to dispossess him as he had paid with his hard-earned money.
Zahida Bibi also stepped forward and said Anjum Aqeel was supposed to provide her with a flat in Khudadad Height in 2007 after she had made the due payments, but it had not materialised thus far.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 30th, 2013.
The Supreme Court on Monday gave a breather to an incumbent MNA seeking reelection as the hearing in a land fraud case involving a government employee welfare organisation was adjourned for two weeks without any adverse order against him.
Anjum Aqeel Khan, the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNA for Islamabad’s NA-48 seat, is accused of defrauding the National Police Foundation (NPF) of billions of rupees.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has taken up the issue of a hushed-up recent out-of-court settlement agreement between Khan and the NPF in the Rs6 billion land fraud case.
The bench, also including justices Gulzar Ahmed and Sheikh Azmat Saeed, took serious note of the agreement between the two parties while suo motu proceedings were pending in the court, but the only action taken was issuing notices to former Interior Secretary Siddiqur Akbar in his capacity as NPF chairman, former Islamabad IGP Bani Amin, former NPF MD Zahid Mehmood, NPF Housing Director Tariq Hanif Joya, and Khan for their responses.
However, the bench also directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general not to drop the criminal case against Khan as long as proceedings against him were pending before the apex court.
The chief justice took up the issue on April 26, 2013 following media reports regarding a clean chit being given to Khan by the NPF, who had filed a complaint against him for failing to provide 45 kanals which had been paid for by the foundation as part of their housing scheme in E-11. The shortage of land left 59 allottees without plots.
Under the agreement that was produced before the court on Monday, the NPF decided to get 22 kanals from the ex-MNA along with 16 flats in Khan’s Khudadad Heights apartment complex in the same sector.
The media reports had stated that under the agreement, the NPF decided to withdraw the complaint against Khan and reach a compromise based on the price of the 45 kanals when the fraud occurred, rather than current market price.
The bench also directed the NPF to provide lists of the affected members of the foundation, those who obtained multiple plots, and those who received plots without being entitled to them under NPF bylaws. The SC will issue notices to these persons after getting their names.
During the course of proceedings, a retired superintendent of police (SP) Raja Muhammad Ayub, 85, appeared before the bench and complained that he got possession of his plot after paying Rs1.1 million and raised the boundary walls, but now the NPF was bent upon depriving him of the plot.
He said it was not his fault if a private party had a land dispute with the NPF and litigation was ongoing. He urged the court to direct the foundation not to dispossess him as he had paid with his hard-earned money.
Zahida Bibi also stepped forward and said Anjum Aqeel was supposed to provide her with a flat in Khudadad Height in 2007 after she had made the due payments, but it had not materialised thus far.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 30th, 2013.