KARACHI: Govt fails to submit report on plot allotment
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, April 9: A summary pertaining to allotment of a plot to a school in Korangi is still pending disposal at the chief minister’s secretariat. The Sindh High Court had ordered preparation of a summery in this regard.
A writ petition was moved by Gul Muhammad Hajano, patron of the New Method Public School Society and principal of the NJV High School in 1995.
It said an 8,000 square yard plot allotted to the school had already been encroached upon and occupied by a councillor. He requested the court to order allotment of an alternative site.
A division bench, comprising Justices Abdul Rahim Kazi and Abdul Majeed Khanzada (now retired), allowed the petition to the extent that the KDA would prepare a summary for CM’s approval within six weeks.
The petition came up for hearing on Wednesday and AAG Suleman Habibullah told the bench seized of it that a summary was drawn up by the KDA as directed for allotment of plot ST-1, Sector 35-A, Korangi. It was forwarded to the chief minister’s office, where it was still pending a final approval.
The AAG sought time for seeking further instructions in the matter and to ascertain why the matter was stuck up.
The bench, which consisted of Justices Ghulam Rabbani and S. Ali Aslam Jafri, adjourned the hearing till April 30.
PEARL CASE: The hearing of appeals in the Daniel Pearl’s murder case was again adjourned on Wednesday at the request of the convicts counsel.
Omar Saeed Shaikh was awarded death penalty and co-accused Adil Shaikh, Salam Saquib and Fahad Nasim were jailed for life by an anti-terrorist court for kidnapping and killing the Wall Street Journal correspondent in Karachi. All three challenged their conviction and sentences before the Sindh High Court through different lawyers while the state moved an appeal for enhancement of sentences.
The appeals could not proceed on a number of dates due to the preoccupation of appellants’ counsel. As they came up before a division bench, comprising Justices Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Rehmat Hussain Jaffery, on Wednesday, Advocate Abdul Waheed Katpar, counsel for Omar, submitted that the paper book of the case had been borrowed from him by the appellant’s father, Saeed Shaikh, who had gone to London and was likely to return after a month.
The bench allowed the request for adjournment and put off the hearing till April 30.
SENTENCES REDUCED: The Sindh High Court reduced the sentences of four foreigners serving jail terms in the Central Prison for attempting to smuggle in heroin powder.
Richard Osei Adamcko, Mustapha Sacko, Mamdy Foromo and Zukisa Patricia were convicted by a special court under the Control of Narcotic Substances Act. They were arrested by the Anti-Narcotic Force following recovery of heroin powder contained in capsules swallowed by them.
Adamcko had 71 capsules weighing 887 grams, Sacko 76 weighing 1,126 grams, Foromo 90 capsules weighing 1,300 grams Patricia 40 capsules weighing 400 grams. They were jailed for terms ranging from three to five years and awarded additional imprisonment for default in payment of fine.
They challenged their conviction through jail appeals. Disposing of the appeals, the SHC appellate bench comprising Justices Ataur Rahman and Azizullah M. Memon reduced the quantum of punishment.
