Academic certificates: ‘Inquiry against PU VC must be completed in a month’
The VC is accused of issuing fake degrees to two ex-parliamentarians.
The vice chancellor’s counsel argued that the ACE had initiated a baseless inquiry against his client. PHOTO: LHC.GOV.PK
LAHORE:
Lahore High Court on Monday gave the Anti Corruption Establishment (ACE) a month’s time to complete an inquiry that has been pending against the Punjab University’s vice chancellor, for allegedly issuing fake degrees to former parliamentarians Sumaira Malik and Abdul Qadir Gillani, son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani.
Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik issued these directions after hearing two petitions, one filed by VC Mujahid Kamran and the other by Professor Zahid Mahmood.
The vice chancellor’s counsel argued that the ACE had initiated a baseless inquiry against his client.
He said his client had no role in the issuance of any fake degrees. He asked the court to set aside the inquiry proceedings.
Prof Mahmood accused the VC of massive misappropriation and said that he had evidence that he wanted to present before the ACE. He sought directions to the ACE to include him in the inquiry.
A lawyer representing the ACE told the court that the inquiry was being conducted on the directives of the Supreme Court and would be completed soon.
Justice Malik adjourned hearing till June 6 and directed the ACE to complete the inquiry in a month and to hear Prof Mahmood’s version.
LHC summons Ittefaq Group shareholder
Lahore High Court on Monday summoned Mian Aslam Bashir, a relative of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, to court in person to explain why he was opposed to the sale of four units of the Ittefaq Group to pay back a bank loan obtained by the Sharif family.
Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial was hearing similar petitions regarding the auction of Ittefaq Foundry’s subsidiaries, Ittefaq Brothers and Brother Steel Mills, to adjust billions of rupees of unpaid loans.
Sharif family’s counsel Ashtar Ausaf said five out of seven families, all shareholders of the Ittefaq Foundry, including the prime minister’s, had consented to the sale. The sixth family was yet to submit its statement while Mian Aslam Bashir had objected to the sale. The chief justice issued a notice to Bashir directing him to appear in court on May 9.
The chief justice also directed the Al-Rehmat Group, who will buy these units to submit a schedule of payment on the next hearing.
A committee for the sale of the units, stated in a report, that one of its members, Chartered Accountant Khwaja Abdul Qadeer, had misappropriated Rs40 million and fled.
The chief justice directed the committee to verify Qadeer’s records from NADRA and produce him before court.
A consortium of eight banks had sanctioned a loan of Rs3.11 billion to Ittefaq Group of Industries between 1982 and 1998. The loan was not paid back and the banks added mark up charges to the principal.
A single bench had accepted a petition by the banks seeking to sell Ittefaq Foundries, Brothers Steel at Kot Lakhpat, Ittefaq Brothers at Shahdara and Ilyas Enterprises at Bund Road Lahore. These units were surrendered by Nawaz Sharif’s family against bank liabilities to adjust the loan.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2014.
Lahore High Court on Monday gave the Anti Corruption Establishment (ACE) a month’s time to complete an inquiry that has been pending against the Punjab University’s vice chancellor, for allegedly issuing fake degrees to former parliamentarians Sumaira Malik and Abdul Qadir Gillani, son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani.
Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik issued these directions after hearing two petitions, one filed by VC Mujahid Kamran and the other by Professor Zahid Mahmood.
The vice chancellor’s counsel argued that the ACE had initiated a baseless inquiry against his client.
He said his client had no role in the issuance of any fake degrees. He asked the court to set aside the inquiry proceedings.
Prof Mahmood accused the VC of massive misappropriation and said that he had evidence that he wanted to present before the ACE. He sought directions to the ACE to include him in the inquiry.
A lawyer representing the ACE told the court that the inquiry was being conducted on the directives of the Supreme Court and would be completed soon.
Justice Malik adjourned hearing till June 6 and directed the ACE to complete the inquiry in a month and to hear Prof Mahmood’s version.
LHC summons Ittefaq Group shareholder
Lahore High Court on Monday summoned Mian Aslam Bashir, a relative of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, to court in person to explain why he was opposed to the sale of four units of the Ittefaq Group to pay back a bank loan obtained by the Sharif family.
Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial was hearing similar petitions regarding the auction of Ittefaq Foundry’s subsidiaries, Ittefaq Brothers and Brother Steel Mills, to adjust billions of rupees of unpaid loans.
Sharif family’s counsel Ashtar Ausaf said five out of seven families, all shareholders of the Ittefaq Foundry, including the prime minister’s, had consented to the sale. The sixth family was yet to submit its statement while Mian Aslam Bashir had objected to the sale. The chief justice issued a notice to Bashir directing him to appear in court on May 9.
The chief justice also directed the Al-Rehmat Group, who will buy these units to submit a schedule of payment on the next hearing.
A committee for the sale of the units, stated in a report, that one of its members, Chartered Accountant Khwaja Abdul Qadeer, had misappropriated Rs40 million and fled.
The chief justice directed the committee to verify Qadeer’s records from NADRA and produce him before court.
A consortium of eight banks had sanctioned a loan of Rs3.11 billion to Ittefaq Group of Industries between 1982 and 1998. The loan was not paid back and the banks added mark up charges to the principal.
A single bench had accepted a petition by the banks seeking to sell Ittefaq Foundries, Brothers Steel at Kot Lakhpat, Ittefaq Brothers at Shahdara and Ilyas Enterprises at Bund Road Lahore. These units were surrendered by Nawaz Sharif’s family against bank liabilities to adjust the loan.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2014.