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KARACHI, Nov 20: A division bench of the Sindh High Court issued on Tuesday notice to the National Accountability Bureau through its prosecutor on three separate appeals filed by a former senator, Islamuddin Shaikh, challenging his conviction by an accountability court (AC-I) Karachi on charges of wilful bank loan default.
The bench, comprising Justice Ghulam Nabi Soomro and Justice Ataur Rahman, also admitted the appeals for regular hearing. The court will take up the matter on the next date of hearing (date in office).
On Oct 18, Judge Dr Qamaruddin Bohra of the AC-I awarded a total of 42 years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs162.892 million to the appellant in three accountability references 10, 11 and 12 of 2000 on charges of wilful bank loan default. He would have to undergo an additional nine years’ RI if he failed to pay the fine.
The court also disqualified the appellant for 10 years from seeking or being elected, chosen, nominated a member or representative of any public body or any statutory or local authority and also should not be allowed to apply for or be granted any financial facility in the form of any loan or advances or other financial accommodation by any bank or financial institution owned or controlled by the Government of Pakistan.
According to the prosecution, Islamuddin Shaikh, along with other family members, acquired a total loan of Rs885.254m from Habib Bank since 1984 against three factories, M/S Ajma Corporation (Pvt) Ltd, M/S Star Oil Mills and M/S Star Solvent Extraction (Pvt) Ltd, but failed to repay the loans.
REMANDED: Qasim Ali, an alleged terrorist of the Sipah-i- Mohammed, was remanded in the custody of the Rizvia police till Nov 26 by Justice Shabbir Ahmed of High Court of Sindh, who is also the administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts for Karachi division.
A sub-inspector of Rizvia police station produced the accused before the AJ with investigation file.
According to the initial remand request, the accused had been booked in the murder case of DR Jamiluddin. A nurse, Seema, was injured in the incident on Oct 3.
According to police, during interrogation, the accused confessed his complicity in at least four other incidents in which six persons had been killed. According to the investigations, the accused told police that he killed Raees Ahmed and Maulana Faqirullah, Pesh Imam of Babul Islam Masjid in the limits of New Karachi police, fired at a bakery in the limits of Soldier Bazaar in which the owner of the bakery was injured, killed Dr Iqbal and also fired on a rally of the Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan in which two people were killed and 10 others injured.
Police showed his arrest on the night between Monday and Tuesday. His mother had already held a press conference at Karachi Press Club on Sunday alleging the arrest and torture of Qasim Ali by the CIA police.—PPI
