ISLAMABAD: Tahir Shahbaz took charge of the office of Registrar Supreme Court on Tuesday, and the first task that befell him was to clear his name before the justices.

“I have assumed the charge and have to appear before the court,” the unfazed officer told reporters who came to greet him.

Appointed to the office on March 18, following the retirement of Dr Faqir Hussain, he was summoned by a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk, regarding a charge filed by PPP Senator Haji Saifullah Khan Bangash that as chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Mr Shahbaz had displayed lack of transparency in a CDA land deal with him.

But the court withdrew its notice sent to Mr Shahbaz and six other CDA officers when advocate Afnan Kundi, representing the CDA, told the court that no rebate of five per cent was ever given to Senator Bangash who, on the other hand, failed to pay the auction price of three plots in Islamabad the deal related to.

Since the auction was well advertised, well attended and recorded, he argued, it was a fair and transparent deal. There was no pre-qualification and the seven-member CDA Board that included Mr Shahbaz accepted only those bids above the reserved price.

Senator Bangash had participated in the open auction of 20 residential and commercial plots on November 22, 2012. CDA accepted the highest bids for 12 plots. Bids for other eight plots being low were rejected.

Senator Bangash’s bids won him three plots - 4,444 square yards for economy flats in G 11/3, 4,833 square yards for Medium Rise Apartments in the Northern Strip E-11 and 2,666 square yards of land in Blue Area across Centaurus building between sectors F-8 and G-8.

Bid acceptance letters were issued the same day to him. He had to pay an aggregate amount of Rs1.37 billion for the three plots, with the condition that 25 per cent of the amount would be paid as token money within 72 hours, and the rest in two installments of 45 per cent on December 21, 2012 and 30 per cent on Jan 21, 2013.

The winning bidder was entitled to five per cent rebate on paying 75 per cent amount in full within 30 days of issuance of acceptance letter.

But the plots were found not to be unencumbered and the CDA was not in a position to give clear possession of these three plots since these were either encroached besides a stay order by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) restrained CDA to sell E-11 plot. The stay was later abated.

Senator Bangash agitated the issue of non-encumbrance before the Islamabad High Court, taking the stand that he would pay the money only after he gets unencumbered, clear possession of the land. His plea however was rejected.

Since the onus to handover clear title and possession of plots to the successful bidder rested on the CDA, the matter was placed before the CDA Board on March 11, 2013. The Board approved rescheduling of payment for the three plots on March 21, 2013.

Senator Bangash held back 75 per cent payment and the CDA issued him a notice of cancellation on December 31, 2013.

CDA cancelled its bid acceptance later when the bidder failed to deposit the remaining premium and forfeited 10 per cent out of the 25 per cent of the bid money that the bidder had deposited.

That made Senator Bangash approach the Supreme Court, which issued notices to the CDA officials. After hearing the CDA counsel on Tuesday the court withdrew the notices.