KARACHI: SHC declares plot’s bidding for marriage lawn illegal
KARACHI, Oct 27: The Sindh High Court on Friday declared the entire bidding process for grant of lease of a plot owned by the Pakistan Sports Board for marriage lawns as illegal, full of ulterior motives, aimed to oblige favourites and causing heavy loss to public exchequer.
The order came on a petition filed by the Shams Brothers against the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs, Pakistan Sports Board and others in which the petitioner challenged refusal of its highest bid for the marriage lawn at the Pakistan Sports Board Coaching Centre plot and approval of contract to second highest bidder by the respondents.
The entire process of inviting of tenders by the respondents on first occasion as well as second occasion was a game of fraud, it was observed.Hearing put off: The high court also adjourned the hearing of a bail application filed by the former medical superintendent of Civil Hospital Karachi in a corruption reference after partially hearing arguments of the NAB and the applicant’s counsel.The NAB had arrested the former MS, Captain (retd) Raza Ali, for corruption, misappropriation of funds and misuse of his official authority.
SHC's division bench, comprising Justice Rehmat Hussain Jaffery and Justice Mrs Yasmeen Abbasy, fixed Nov 2 for further arguments.
Applicant's counsel contended that no prima faice case is made out against his client and he is entitled to bail.
NAB's deputy prosecutor general Brig (retd) Shafat Nabi Sherwani informed the court about corruption charges against the accused.
Raza's sub-ordinate and former additional MS of Civil Allah Nawaz Qazi was also arrested for supporting him in embezzlement of Zakat funds of Rs 3 million allocated for poor and needy patients of the hospital.
According to the NAB, Capt (retd) Raza Ali who was posted as acting MS of Civil in September 2003, embezzled Rs 3 million from central Zakat funds of the hospital by submitting fake and bogus documents, including fake admission slips, prescriptions, fake invoices of purchase of surgical instruments and implantation.
During inquiry, it was revealed that the former MS, in connivance with the additional MS, also misappropriated funds of health welfare committee and funds of indoor and outdoor patients on bogus names of patients, medicines and instructions.
The Zakat funds given to the so-called patients were without the approval of local Zakat committees, nor any such documents were attached for collecting Zakat.
BAIL GRANTED: The Sindh High Court on Friday granted bail to the brother-in-law of alleged gangster Abdul Rehman in an attempt to murder, firing and illegal weapon case.
Abdul Wajid was shown arrested by the Kalakot police on June 19, after a police encounter, declaring Rehmat, with three other associates Baba Ladla, Malik Arif and Ghafoor Choto as absconding co-accused.
His counsel M Ilyas Khan and Mohammad Farooq contended that the case of prosecution needs further inquiry as the applicant was actually arrested with Abdul Rehman from Queeta on June 18 with his niece Atiqa 11, and nephew Atique, 8.
They said that the police in order to conceal the arrest of Abdul Rehman had shown the arrest of the applicant in a fake police encounter case.
SHC's single bench, comprising Justice Azizullah M Memon, after hearing the case granted bail to the applicant on furnishing two sureties of Rs500,000 each.—APP/PPI
