KARACHI: Expressing grave concern over the lethargic attitude of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in completing pending inquiries against government functionaries, the Sindh High Court on Wednesday directed the chief of the country’s top anti-graft institution to appear in court along with the entire record of inquiries pending since 2015.

Headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh, a two-judge bench was hearing a constitutional petition of former town municipal administrator of Umerkot against an inquiry by NAB for his alleged involvement in corruption of Rs20 million.

The bench put off the hearing to Oct 6.

According to the petitioner, NAB had initiated an inquiry against him, but it was closed two years ago. However, he alleged, NAB officials were still harassing him.

He prayed to the court to direct NAB not to take any coercive action against him.

Bagh Ibne Qasim case

Meanwhile, a two-judge bench directed the authorities concerned to inspect Bagh Ibne Qasim, the iconic park in Clifton, to see if any sewerage lines were laid underneath the park by anyone, including real estate firm Bahria Town.

Extending its restraining order against the handover of Bagh Ibne Qasim to property developer Bahria Town, the Sindh High Court put off hearing a set of petitions against the provincial government and the real estate giant to a date to be later pronounced by the court’s office.

In a previous hearing, advocate Khalid Javed Khan, appearing on behalf of Bahria Town, had said the real estate firm was no longer interested in the park as its ownership was disputed and the matter had become controversial.

The bench, headed by Justice Junaid Ghaffar, had on April 3 restrained the Sindh government from handing over Bagh Ibne Qasim to Bahria Town in response to a set of petitions filed by Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and a non-governmental organisation.

The court had also suspended a notification issued by the provincial government which stated that the park was to be handed over to the property firm for 10 years.

In its reply to the court’s orders, the provincial government vehemently opposed the petitions and asked the court to dismiss them.

The government said that the notification was issued in accordance with the law and after the approval of competent authorities and the petitioners’ requests were “without merit and justification”.

It said that as per the agreement, the real estate giant had taken financial responsibility for the development of the park and not a single inch of it would be used for commercial or any other purpose.

The government asked the court to dismiss the petitions as they were filed “with mala fide intention and to waste the time of the honourable court”.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2017