March 12, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 3, 1429

KARACHI, March 11: An anti-corruption court on Tuesday acquitted former provincial minister Imtiaz Sheikh and his brother, Maqbool Sheikh, in a land scam case.

Judge Syed Gul Munir Shah of the Special Anti-Corruption Court, Karachi, said he based his decision on lack of evidence.

The Sheikh brothers were being tried on charges of making “unauthorised and illegal transfers and allotment of around 1,700 acres in Korangi areas to private parties at throwaway prices”. They were accused of causing a heavy loss to the national exchequer.

The judge pronounced the decision after recording the arguments of both prosecution and defence counsel on an application moved by the accused for the cancellation of charges against them.

The application pertained to Section 249-A of the criminal procedure code under which a magistrate has the powers to acquit an accused if he considers that the charge is groundless or that there is no probability of the accused being convicted of any offence.The prosecution said that Imtaiz Sheikh had abused his position as a public servant and played a key role in allotting government lands to private parties illegally while he was holding the portfolio of revenue minister.

The Sheikh brothers along with 40 other accused faced trial under the penal code’s Section 161 (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act), Section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing of property), Section 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and Section 471/34 (using as genuine a forged document) read with Section 5(2) of the corruption act of1947.

The co-accused in the case, Mahboob Sheikh, cousin of Imtaiz Sheikh, Ali Akbar, EDO revenue, Zafar, Anwar Panwar, Abdullah Pahor, Noor Din, Maqbool Mahar, Abdul Karim Jokhio and Ajiz Ahmed were granted bail while the remaining accused had been declared absconders by the court.