October 20, 2006	Friday	Ramazan 26, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 19: The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to expedite criminal proceedings against a secretary of a Punjab housing cooperatives for his involvement in a multi-million scam.

A two-member bench comprised Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi.

Secretary Punjab Small Industries Cooperatives Employees Housing Society (PSICEHS), Lahore, Major (Retd) Zulfikar Ali issued allotment letters of 1,300 available plots to over 1,700 applicants. Some of the plots were issued in the name of more than four individuals but occupation of the land was denied to them for the last 20 years.

On a suo motu, the bench was hearing complaints of affected persons of the society.

One of the victims in a choked voice told the court that she had come here after borrowing money from area nazim because after the death of her husband she had no means to live. She accused the secretary of the society of selling the plot allotted in her name and she had been running from pillar to post for the last 13 years to get the plot.

Advocate General Punjab Chaudhry Aftab Iqbal also informed the court that the Lahore High Court had vacated the stay granted against NAB two years ago to proceed against the secretary when the bureau took over the case.

Even the land reserved for the graveyard and the mosques were allegedly sold by the secretary, AG stated. The bench was also informed that 96 petitions by the affected persons were pending in different courts of law.

In order to resolve the controversy, the apex court decided to entrust Chief Secretary, Punjab, the job of forming a three- member liquidators comprising honest officer from the provincial bureaucracy to probe the matter thoroughly. A comprehensive report is required from the committee which should be drafted while keeping in view the number of complaints, financial affairs and other matters.

The registrar of the society was also directed to hold fresh elections of the office bearers of the society and after electing the new body submit a detailed report to the chief secretary as well as to the court.

Directions were also issued to the area magistrate to take over the affairs of the society and take steps to appoint a caretaker after de-seating the secretary.

Advocate Malik Muhammad Qayyum, representing the secretary of the society assured the bench that his client would withdraw all civil suits pending before different courts filed to prolong the matter.

Earlier, Advocate Faisal Agha, who also represented the secretary, filed a detailed report suggesting list of all pending cases filed by individuals in different courts against the society.

The apex court also directed its office to requisition files of the three pending cases in the LHC.

PPI adds: The Supreme Court Thursday directed the district and sessions judge, Rawalpindi, to depute an additional sessions judge for probe into the alleged victimisation of a school teacher and her husband by police at the behest of a Khayabane Sir Syed union council Nazim, Nasrullah Jarral.

The Supreme Court bench comprised Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had taken a suo motu notice of the complaint of a school teacher, Kulsoom Arif. Ms Kulsoom said that she was a polling agent during the election for AJK Legislative Assembly, Jammu 6, in Rawalpindi and while polling was on, some armed people led by Nasrullah Jarral forcibly entered the polling booth and beaten her and other staff.

Ms Arif said later she was sent to a police station where she was tortured and later her husband was implicated in a false case.

She said police were not registering a case against the accused and harassing her as well as her family.