July 26, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 22, 1429

KARACHI, July 25: The judge of a special banking court, Ghulam Hussain Mallah, on Friday deferred till July 30 his judgment on the acquittal plea of Hakim Ali Zardari in a case pertaining to fraud.

Earlier, the court had recorded arguments from both sides on the application moved by Hakim Zardari under Section 249-A of the CrPC and had reserved the order for July 25. However, the verdict has been deferred till the next date.

The prosecution said that Hakim Ali Zardari had allegedly sold out shares of Eastern Insurance Company in 1987 and told the company that the shares had been stolen.

The company had issued duplicate shares to him. However, after an inquiry the FIA had registered a case against him.

Warrants out for Agha Pathan

The judicial magistrate, South, Asif Ahmed, issued warrants for the arrest of Agha Javed Pathan since the latter did not appear in court in a case registered against him for manhandling the former Sindh chief minister, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, and directed the police to arrest him and produce him in court on August 16.

The prosecution said that he was arrested on April 9 on charges of manhandling Dr Arbab and a case (FIR 202/08) was registered at the Preedy police station under Sections 502, 452, 506-B 337-A and F of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The police claimed that illegal weapons, hashish and a stolen motorcycle had also been recovered from the possession of Mr Pathan and three other cases (FIR Nos. 199/08, 200/08 and 201/08) had been registered against him under Sections 392 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 13-D of Arms Ordinance and Section 6/9-A of Control of Narcotic Substance Act at the Preedy police station. Later, Agha Pathan got bail in all the cases.

Chakrani’s bail plea rejected

The special judge of an anti-corruption court, Karachi, Syed Gul Munir Shah, rejected a bail application of an administrator of the market committee of New Sabzi Mandi, G. N. Chakrani, in a corruption case.

On July 10, the court had remanded Mr Chakrani in jail custody following the dismissal of his pre-arrest bail application.

Mr Chakrani along with the secretary of market committee Saeedul Hasan Zaidi, the director-general of Sindh government’s agriculture extension, Naeem Ahmed Korejo, and Ashiq Hussein, a section officer of the PMP, agriculture department, government of Sindh are facing charges in a land scam that involved millions of rupees.