Weapons scam case: Judicial remand of two accused extended for 13 days

PHC orders to provide Shuhada package to deceased policeman’s family.

PESHAWAR:

An accountability court on Thursday further extended the judicial remand of Raza Ali Khan, a distant relative of former chief minister Amir Haider Hoti, and former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) IGP Malik Naveed in the Rs7 billion weapons scam case.

The accused have been charged for taking kickbacks over contracts for weapon procurement and other equipment for the police during 2008-10.

Raza, brother-in-law of Hoti’s brother Ghazan Hoti, was produced before the court of judge Shamshir Ali Khan but the former top cop could not appear as he has been facing cardiac issues. Naveed was admitted to Lady Reading Hospital soon after he was first sent to prison.

The judge asked both accused to be presented before the court on March 13, extending their judicial remand till then.

Voluntary return

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) K-P chapter also failed to file a reference against the former provincial police chief in the court.

Naveed had first offered Rs40 million under the voluntarily return system but was turned down. He later increased the amount to Rs80 million but that offer too was turned down by the authorities.

The former IGP was arrested on November 20, 2013, spent 56 days in NAB’s custody and was sent to prison on January 15. Raza was arrested on January 6 and sent to prison on February 1. Both have approached the Peshawar High Court (PHC) for bail. NAB has also approached the PHC for Raza’s remand, the hearing for which will be held on March 6.

Delayed compensation

The PHC on Thursday directed the home and finance secretaries to compensate the family of a deceased policeman and to formulate a proper procedure for paying the amount to families.

Chief Justice (CJ) Mian Fasihul Mulk and Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan were informed by Advocate Khurshid Ahmad Shayan during contempt of court proceedings that Saeed, son of petitioner Bakht Pari, died in a car accident while chasing terrorists on January 16, 2010.

Shayan said the petitioner filed an application in the police department for the Shuhada package, but was informed that her son did not die chasing terrorists.

Bakht then filed a writ petition at the PHC and former CJ Dost Muhammad Khan declared her son died in the line of duty. The package has not been given to Shayan’s client despite the lapse of 14 months.

The bench showed displeasure over the non-compliance of court orders and said if the provincial government does not accept PHC’s order, they can approach the Supreme Court.

The bench then ordered the home secretary and finance secretary to devise a strategy for the timely payment of compensation to families, asking for the report to be presented in front of the court.

Hospital hopping

In a separate case, a division bench of Justice Nisar Hussain Khan and Justice Musarrat Hilali issued a notice to the provincial government through the health secretary for not following a previous order against the transfer of doctors from an autonomous hospital to others in K-P.

The contempt of court petition was filed by Dr Noor Sahib Khan and Dr Zakirullah of Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) in which they said that on June 6, 2013, the PHC banned the inter-hospital transfer of doctors between KTH, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Lady Reading Hospital and Ayub Medical Complex, Abbottabad.

However, the petitioners claim transfers still occur. The bench then issued a notice to the health secretary to submit his report on the issue and follow its previous order within 15 days.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2014.