KARACHI, Nov 30: The Sindh High Court on Thursday ordered status quo in a lawsuit initiated by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board against the Commander of Karachi, the Naval Estate Office and others seeking injunctions in respect of 9.28 acres near Karsaz.
Issuing notices to the defendants, including the city government, the secretary of local government and the ministry of defence, for December 13, the court also appointed an official assignee to inspect land and to submit report on the next date of hearing.
Plaintiff's counsel Abrar Hasan contended that a KWSB reservoir is situated in survey No 3 in Deh Okawari on Ibrahim Rehmatullah Road on 97 acres and 59 acres. Another piece of land, measuring 9.28 acres, was acquired from the defendants for supply of water to the reservoir and the said acquisition was made in a meeting between the plaintiff's representative and the representatives of the Commander of Karachi and the Naval Estate Office on February 25, 1999.
The counsel contended that in the same meeting, defendants claimed an amount of Rs32,863,500 as price of the land and it was mentioned in the minutes of the meeting that the plaintiff had acquired land (12-28 acres and 19 acres) from defendants for which the his client had paid twice to the military estate office.
He further contended that the plaintiff have already made payment to the defendants and they were not entitled to any further payment.
He informed the court that defendants are now threatening to resume the said 9.28 acres for raising certain constructions and that the interim order in this respect may be passed.
The court, after preliminary hearing of plaintiff's counsel, directed both the parties to maintain status quo and issued notice to the defendants for December 13.
CONVICTION SET ASIDE: The Sindh High Court on Thursday, allowing an appeal of a foreigner, set aside the conviction awarded to him by the trial court in a drug case.
Ghulam Ali Mughini was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Control of Narcotics Substance Court in Karachi on December 12, 2005, for possessing contraband substance.
According to the prosecution, the appellant was arrested by the customs official at Karachi Airport on Dec 12, 2003, while travelling to London and during search of his luggage, 1,400 grams of heroin powder and 1200 grams of opium were found.
His appeal against conviction was heard by SHC's division bench, comprising Justice Rehmat Hussain Jaffery and Justice Ms Yasmeen Abbasey. The court, after hearing the case and perusal of evidence set aside the conviction, for reasons to be recorded later, and ordered to release the appellant if not involved in other cases.
Meanwhile, the same bench also allowed the appeal of a man in bank fraud case. Mohammad Zahid Malik was sentenced to an aggregate six years for preparing fake cheque and committing fraud.—PPI
