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| October 4, 2005 | Tuesday | Sha’aban 29, 1426 |
Court seeks details of PML leader’s assets
ISLAMABAD, Oct 3: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Faisalabad district administration to produce on Tuesday details of property owned by the Punjab vice-president of ruling PML, Mian Yasin Amjad Malik, vying for the special seat of ‘peasant’ in the October 6 local government elections.
A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice M. Javed Buttar and Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed directed the district coordination officer (DCO) and the superintendent police Special Branch Faisalabad and Tehsildar and Patwari of Shorkot to submit documents substantiating ownership of 30 acres of agriculture land by petitioner Yasin Amjad Malik.
The court also felt the absence of Yasin Amjad Malik from the court and directed him to appear in person on October 4.
Yasin Amjad Malik had petitioned the Supreme Court against September 22, 2005 Lahore High Court order of upholding the district returning officer’s (DRO) rejection of his nomination paper to contest October 6 elections from the special seat of peasant.
In his appeal, Yasin Malik claimed that since he was landless and had taken six acres of agriculture land for cultivation on lease on partnership basis, therefore, he was qualified to contest the upcoming elections on special seat reserved for peasants.
His annual income from agriculture land according to the assessment year 1998 to 2003 is also below the tax liability, he contended.
Yasin Amjad Malik, earlier elected member National Assembly during the 1988 and 1990 and the husband of Riffat Amjad, a sitting parliament secretary, has also pleaded that the high court judge during chamber hearing declared that his income as assessed by the income tax department was excessive, when the judge should have determined his eligibility to contest the elections on special seat.
On Monday, Deputy Attorney General Nasir Saeed Sheikh and Assistant Advocate General Punjab Afshan Ghazanfar presented before the court an intelligence report of the Special Branch suggesting that the petitioner was the owner of property worth millions in Faisalabad in addition to 30 acres of agriculture land in Shorkot.
After learning about the intelligence report the bench directed the district administration Faisalabad to send through special messenger details of the property and the tehsildar and Patwari Shorkot to produce evidence to substantiate ownership of the property of the petitioner positively by Tuesday at petitioner’s cost.
Candidate’s petition dismissed: A three-member bench of the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed as withdrawn an election petition of a candidate for the seat of district councillor in Attock, adds APP news agency.
The bench comprised Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice M. Javed Buttar and Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed.
Dr Babar Awan appeared before the court as counsel of the petitioner.
The federal deputy attorney general and assistant advocate general Punjab represented the Election Commission and the Punjab government, respectively.
The petitioner, Raja Mohammad Siddique, who once held the office of deputy speaker of the AJK assembly, filed nomination papers to contest election as district councillor on special labour seat. The papers were rejected by the returning officer Attock.
The decision was upheld by the district returning officer as well as the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi bench.
The bench said a person who remained deputy speaker of the AJK Assembly did not fall in the category of labour.
The petitioner had pleaded that he was working in a bakery on part-time basis and thus fell in the category of labour.
The chief justice observed that “if you (petitioner) will not withdraw this petition then investigation will be made through district and sessions judge Attock and if any fraud is found you will be sent to jail”.
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