KARACHI, Sept 10: An accountability court acquitted on Wednesday a former assistant commissioner of the revenue department in a land reference.

Judge Qaiser Iqbal of the AC-1, who is also the administrative judge of all ACs in Karachi division, exonerated Noor Mohammed Khatti of the charge for lack of sufficient evidence against him.

Mr Khatti and former chief minister Syed Abdullah Shah were earlier convicted and sentenced to a three-year term on July 20, 2002 by the AC-1, then headed by Judge Dr Qamaruddin Bohra, for avoiding the legal proceedings against him in the land reference. The revenue official was represented by Nehal Hashmi.

The reference No. 23/2000 pertained to the allotment of a 28- 8 acres in Mangho Pir to Noor Muhammed Dahiri at a throw away price in violation of rules and existing policy, thus causing a loss of Rs9.2 million to the national exchequer.

Former secretary of land utilization department, Ramesh M. Udeshi, another co-accused, was earlier convicted by Judge Bohra, who sentenced him only till rising the court.

Ramesh Udeshi floated the summary for allotment of land to Noor Muhammed Dahiri “in violation of law and also in flagrant disregard of the Sindh Government Rules of Business-1986”.

The reference alleged that the former secretary of land utilization department, being in connivance with Abdullah Shah to benefit Dahiri, floated a summary for allotment of land to Noor Muhammed Dahiri at a very low price.

The beneficiary, Noor Muhammed Dahiri, was already ordered to be released on June 5, 2002 by Judge Bohra under section 25 of the NAB Ordinance after he had surrendered the land and deposited Rs2,613,600 for the lease of the land. He was, however, disqualified “from being elected, chosen, appointed, or nominated as member or representative of any public office, or any statutory or local authorities of the government of Pakistan for 21 years”.