December 02, 2008	Tuesday	Zilhaj 3, 1429

KARACHI, Dec 1: The Sindh High Court directed the home department and the Hyderabad central prison authorities on Monday to have former revenue minister Altaf Hussain Unnar examined by a senior kidney specialist at the Liaquat University of Health and Medical Sciences, Jamshoro, within two days.

Petitioner Adeel Unnar submitted through Advocate Wasique Kehar that the court had ordered his father’s examination by a specialist at the Kidney Centre, Karachi, within three days on Nov 25 but the direction had not been complied with. He reiterated Mr Unnar was in an advanced stage of kidney ailment and may suffer irreversibly if not treated immediately.

Appearing for the respondents, Assistant Advocate-General Adnan Karim Memon admitted that the order had not been carried out but assured that the under-trial prisoner would be examined by a professor of the Liaquat University, Jamshoro, preferably on Tuesday. He would be brought to Karachi if his shifting was necessary for his treatment. He also undertook to convey the court’s direction to the respondents, including the jail superintendent, and ensure that it was duly complied with. The bench, which consisted of Justices Khilji Arif Hussain and Dr Qamaruddin Bohra, asked the respondents to submit a compliance report and adjourned further hearing.

Mr Unnar is in judicial custody for his trial by an anti-terrorism court for attempting to murder MNA Dr Azra Pechoho. According to the prosecution, he fired at the car of the MNA during a by-poll at Jamshoro in 2006.

Co-op administrator

The bench, meanwhile, directed the SHC official assignee to conduct elections of Al Riaz Co-operative Housing Society within two months.

The order was passed on a petition moved by the managing committee of the society saying that the administrator appointed by the provincial co-operation department in 2006 had failed to carry out his mandate. He had neither compiled nor published a voters’ list nor made any other arrangement for conducting the society’s polls in the foreseeable future. The petitioner society was told to pay Rs50,000 to the official assignee for his services.

Land lease case

The Sindh High Court on Monday gave the provincial advocate-general one-week time to inform the court whether the Sindh government’s appeal against extension of lease to the defendants of a land allotment case was made in time, adds PPI.

The Sindh government had filed an appeal through the secretary of the land utilisation department against a decision of a single bench of the high court passed in September 2008 ordering allotment of 32 acres land to Ms Musarat Nazir.

The appellant had submitted that the defendant, Ms Musarat Nazir, owned 32 acres land in Deh Taiser Town, Karachi, which she transferred to one, Rasheed Akhtar, through an executing deed. Rasheed got leased the land allotted to him only for agricultural purpose for 10 years. He fraudulently got the lease extended to 99 years and applied for its conversion to commercial status in 1995. The lease extension required approval of the chief minister but no request for the approval was made by the defendant.

The appellant further stated that Section 10 of the Colonisation of Government Lands Act provided that 80 square-yard government land could only be converted to residential status through open auction. No summary was entertained by then chief minister and, therefore, the lease was extended fraudulently. The appellant sought calling of lease extension record and setting aside of the single bench order.

The division bench comprising Justices Khilji Arif Hussain and Dr Qamaruddin Bohra granted one week time to the AG Sindh, Yusuf Leghari, to satisfy the court that the appeal had been made in time as ordered earlier.