KARACHI, Nov 7: The Board of Revenue, Sindh, has handed over an enquiry into an allegedly fraudulent occupation of a residential house of Iraqi Embassy in Karachi to the Inspector General of Registration (IGR), Hyderabad, asking for a report within 30 days.

The IGR has placed the services of Sub-Registrars, Sikandar Ali Qureshy, and Shahid Raza Shah, under suspension under the Sindh Civil Servants’ Efficiency and Discipline Rules, 1973.

In a meeting under the chairmanship of home secretary, in Oct 2000, an enquiry had been ordered into the circumstances under which House No F-13, Gizri Street, Phase-4, DHA, Karachi — originally a property of the Embassy of Iraq — was handed over to M/S Murad Jalal and Aughan on the basis of allegedly fake documents.

The government of Iraq had purchased the house on a plot measuring 2000sq yards from Mrs Akhtar Amannullah, wife of Amanullah Sardar, vide registered sale deed dated May 14, 1979.

The property was converted into the residence of Iraqi Consul General, who remained in the occupation of the property till the outbreak of the Gulf War in 1991, when the office was temporarily closed. Thereafter, the property remained under the custody of the DHA, till it was handed over to the police for its safe custody.

The facts showed that Murad Jalal and Aughan managed to get the property transferred in their names through Deedar Hussain, on the basis of allegedly fake documents.

An application was moved on Feb 18, 1998, with the DHA for mutation of the property in favour of Murad Jalal and Aughan. However, the DHA refused to do so as the record available with them indicated the Embassy of Iraq as owner of the property.

Later on, the possession was taken over by Murad Jalal and Aughan allegedly in connivance with the police.

The DHA lodged a complaint with the Defence police regarding fraudulent transfer of the property and the purchasers were arrested. But, later, they were released.

The DHA lodged another FIR No 260/1998, against the two, who were granted bail-before-arrest by the district and sessions judge, South, and the matter had been pending adjudication.

During enquiry, senior registrar, Shahid Raza Shah, resident of Defence Phase V, stated that he was working as sub-registrar, agricultural land, East, while registering the said power of attorney.

He stated that he had satisfied himself before registration of the same, as Mrs Akhtar, Murad Jalal and Deedar Hussain had personally appeared before him on Oct 29, 1997.

He also produced a copy of a national identity card — No 520-50-269091 — belonging to Mrs Akhtar. However, he could not clarify his position whether he was competent to register power of attorney due to lack of territorial jurisdiction.

He could not answer the question as to why he failed to mention the I.D. card number in the registered power of attorney on Oct 29, 1997.

Sikandar Ali, sub-registrar, T. division, was also summoned. He stated that genuine documents with power of attorney, duly attested by the registrar, were produced as the purported owners had lost the same and an FIR was lodged as mentioned in the sale deed.

He was of the view that sub-registrar was not empowered to go into the genuineness of the documents of the power of attorney and he was just required to register any document produced before him under the law.

M.A. Essani, counsel for the Iraqi Consulate, during the course of proceedings, stated that the Iraqi government had purchazed the property from Mrs Akhtar Amanullah, on May 14, 1979, and thereafter the property had been the residence of the Iraqi Consul General.

He contended that Mrs Akhtar had died on Aug 30, 1989, and a death certificate was issued to her husband, Sardar Amanullah.

Mr Essani produced a sale deed, dated July 6, 1985, showing the address of Mrs Akhtar’s residence as 12-A, 3 Gizri Street, Phase IV, DHA. It was pointed out that house No 12 was alienated in 1990 on the records of Military Estate Officer, Clifton Cantonment Board, and the DHA, into the names of legal heirs.

The inquiry officer observed that sub-registrars Sikandar Ali Shah and Shahid Raza Shah had connived and facilitated the two to prepare false documents of the property.

He pointed out that this irresponsible act of registering power of attorney as well as registered sale deed without ascertaining the correctness of the document/ verification of the credentials of the owners of the property had caused embarrassment to the government of Pakistan at international forum.

He recommended that possession of the property be restored to the legal and rightful owner — the government of Iraq.—APP