QUETTA, Nov 19: A Balochistan High Court division bench has admitted for regular hearing the appeal of ex-minister and PPP’s provincial leader challenging the sentence of imprisonment and fine awarded by the accountability court Quetta in a corruption reference.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed and Justice Akhtar Zaman Malghani, while admitting the appeal of ex-minister Bismiullah Khan Kakar and ex-project director of education department Balochistan Baz Muhammad Kakar, on Wednesday summoned record from the trial court.

The accountability court had convicted Bismiullah Kakar and Baz Muhammad in a corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau for embezzlement of government funds.

In another case, the court has issued notices to the provincial government and Advocate General of Balochistan in a joint petition filed by Khuda Bakhsh and 92 others challenging the government decision imposing ban on the sale of private land in Gwadar tehsil.

The petitioners have submitted that the order of Balochistan chief minister slapping ban on the sale and purchase of private land in Gwadar tehsil is unlawful. They prayed the court to set aside the government notification in this respect.

The petitioners held that the Gwadar district comprised four tehsils and imposing a ban on sale of private land in one tehsil was a discriminatory action that infringed upon the rights of those who wanted to decide about their private land.

The court issued notices to respondents that include the provincial government, Board of Revenue member, district coordinating officer, Gwadar, settlement officer Makran and district administrative officer (revenue) Gwadar, besides the AG of Balochistan.

MINISTERS INDUCTION: The oath taking of new Balochistan ministers has been delayed following the contact Chief Minister Jam Muhammad Yousuf made with opposition members before leaving for Saudi Arabia on Umra.