12 April 2004	Monday	21 Safar 1425

BAHAWALPUR, April 11: A meeting of all the legal heirs of the late Nawab of Bahawalpur has been convened at the Circuit House here on April 17, it is learnt.

Sources told Dawn on Sunday that notices had been issued to all legal heirs and their descendants in this regard by Justice Qadeeruddin Ahmad Chaudhry (retired), the head of the property distribution committee of the late Nawab of Bahawalpur.

They said the committee chief would listen the objections and problems being faced by the legal heirs in respect of the distribution of the late Nawab's property. The mode of auction of the left-over articles of the late Nawab, including Rolls Royce cars, would also be finalized.

The committee chairman decided before the de-sealing of the Sadiq Garh Palace that the recovered articles should be sold only to the legal heirs who opposed the open auction of the belongings of their ancestors.

All precious articles and antiques were found missing when the palace was de-sealed on Feb 16. The heirs then demanded that the remaining articles - including four or five Rolls Royce cars dumped in the palace garages, broken sofa sets, chairs, picture frames and old rotten carpets - should be sold out through an open auction.

In another meeting, the revenue staff will also apprise Justice Chaudhry of the progress so far made in respect of the distribution of immovable property of the late Nawab.

Sub-committee chairman and Bahawalpur EDO (Revenue) Abdul Ghafoor Bhatti will explain to Justice Chaudhry the disparities found among the new and old inventories of the articles of the palace. According to the new inventory, a number of costly articles were missing from the palace.