15 October 2004	Friday	29 Shaban 1425

KARACHI, Oct 14: A division bench of the Sindh High Court reserved its order on Thursday in a writ petition moved by an accountability case accused in the Alliance Motors scam for anticipatory bail.

Sikandar A. Karim has been implicated by the National Accountability Bureau in its reference in the TJ Ebrahim and Company and Alliance Motors case as a beneficiary.

He is alleged to be in the possession of properties purchased by the two liquidated companies with the deposits solicited and collected by them from credulous investors by promising fabulous returns. He was granted interim protective bail by an SHC judge to enable him to surrender before the accountability court trying the reference.

The petitioner sought anticipatory bail through a writ petition and his counsel, Advocate Raja Qureshi, submitted before a division bench on Thursday that he apprehended arrest immediately on arrival in Pakistan from abroad.

The lawyer said his client was innocent and his name did not appear in the initial or supplementary reference filed by the NAB. IT was only when the list of beneficiaries was expanded from 14 to 44 that Sikandar Karim's name was mentioned as an accused.

The petition was contested by NAB deputy prosecutor-general Shaukat Hussain Zubedi. He said the accused should first surrender before the court and then seek the concession.

There was no provision for bail, least of anticipatory bail, in the NAB Ordinance and concession could not be sought in exercise of the high court's constitutional jurisdiction. The bench, which consisted of Justices Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Syed Zawwar Hussain Jaffery, reserved its order after hearing the arguments.

NOTICE TO DHA: In a petition by the owner of residential-cum- commercial building, the bench issued notice to the Defence Housing Authority for Oct 28. The petitioner, a retired army major, complained that the DHA and the Clifton Cantonment Board had increased water charges but reduced its supply. The supply was erratic even on alternate days.

He claimed that under the DHA rules and regulations, 210 gallons of water was to be supplied to every plot irrespective of its size. He requested the court to direct the DHA to increase its water supply and the cantonment board to recover water cess at a reduced rate.

NOTICES ISSUED: A division bench of High Court of Sindh, comprising Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Justice Syed Zawwar Hussain Jaffery, on Thursday issued pre-admission notice for Oct 28 to the administrator of the DHA and the executive officer of the Clifton Cantonment Board while hearing a constitutional petition, adds APP.

Major Asif Mirza Beg moved the court questioning inflated water bills and low supply of drinking water to residents of Clifton. The petitioner, citing a letter of the additional director, water supplies of the CCB, maintained that as per the letter, 646 gallons of water was being provided on alternate days.

The petitioner, who is the owner of a commercial building having shops and residential flats, submitted that as per DHA rules and regulations, requirement of supply is 210 gallons per day, irrespective of the size of a plot. He submitted that water supply was erratic and no water schedule was being maintained.

The petitioner prayed to the court to direct the DHA to increase the quantity of water and direct the CCB to charge lesser amount of water tax from commercial buildings.