Outstanding dues: CM exempted from appearing before court

Chief secretary ordered to appear before court on May 14

LAHORE: Justice Ibad-ur-Rehman Lodhi of Lahore High Court on Wednesday exempted Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif from appearing before the court in a petition regarding the non-payment of land acquired by the Nazaria-i-Pakistan Trust.

The judge ordered the chief secretary to appear on May 14, the next date of hearing however. Justice Lodhi said the court would summon the chief minister if the official failed to satisfy the court. The court had summoned Sharif last week in his capacity as the trust’s chairman.

The government had challenged the order. The counsel for the government had told the court that Sharif enjoyed immunity from appearing before the court under Article 248 of the Constitution. He said there was also no moral reason for summoning the chief minister besides this and requested the court to withdraw the order.

The counsel for the petitioner had told the court that two kanals owned by the institute had been procured by the trust in 2009. He said the trust had failed to pay for the land.  He said Sharif was responsible for this as he was the trust’s chairman.  The counsel for the petitioner requested the court to instruct him to clear the outstanding dues.

The revenue additional secretary had informed the court that the land had been acquired following a directive from a Board of Revenue member and the trust’s chairman was not responsible for this. The judge had summoned the trust’s chairman and the BoR member as he was not satisfied with the official’s explanation.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2015.