26 February 2004	Thursday	05 Muharram 1425

KARACHI, Feb 25: The city district government of Karachi produced in the Sindh High Court the record of a union council's proceedings on a no-confidence move against nazim and deputy nazim but submitted that it did not issue a notification of their ouster because of irregularities reported by the UC secretary.

Nazim Abdur Razzak, who is also deputy parliamentary leader of the CDGK, and deputy nazim Nawaz Abbasi were ousted by UC-4 (Metroville) councillors at a meeting held in pursuance of an SHC consent order.

The record of the meeting, presided over by a councillor elected officiating nazim for the meeting, was sent to the CDGK official concerned in November 2003 but no action under the Sindh Local Government Ordinance was taken by the CDGK.

The record was submitted as a division bench comprising Justices Shabbir Ahmed and Azizullah M. Memon took up the petition on Wednesday. It was adjourned for further proceedings on Thursday. Advocates Rasheed A. Razvi, Abid S. Zuberi and Manzoor Ahmed appeared for the petitioner councillor, the respondent nazim and the CDGK, respectively.

INDIAN HC CASE: Meanwhile, Justice Syed Zawwar Hussain Jaffery allowed bail to Syed Ali Baqar Naqvi, accused of unlawfully occupying the former Indian high commission and consulate building in Old Clifton, by preparing fake documents, in the sum of Rs500,000. Co-accused Muhammad Ibrahim and Muhammad Abbas were also granted bail in the sum of Rs200,000 each.

The accused are being tried by a judicial magistrate, who had declined them bail, under Sections 420,448, 466,467,468and 471 of the PPC. The main accused had instituted a suit against police interference in his possession of the building. The court rejected his claim by an order on an application but the main suit is still pending.

NAVY'S EX-CHIEF: A division bench comprising Justices Ghulam Nabi Soomro and M. Mujibullah Siddiqui ordered production of former navy chief Mansoorul Haq and retired commodore Ashfaq Baig on Thursday when their appeals would come up for hearing again.

The appellants have challenged their conviction and sentenced by an accountability court for purchasing defective ships for the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation and causing a big loss to the public exchequer.

Appearing for former PNSC director Ashfaq Baig, Barrister Azizullah Shaikh submitted that his client had been punished for first rejecting and subsequently accepting the ship 'Apollonia' but under the PNSC rules and practice, change of opinion after a second inspection was no offence.

This, he said, was borne out by the evidence of PNSC general manager for planning department Mehmood Ali, who appeared as a prosecution witness.