MANSEHRA: The Abbottabad Circuit Bench of the Peshawar High Court has restored 16 Mansehra Development Authority employees, including director and deputy director, whose services were terminated on the orders of former chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti over a Rs440 million plot scam in 2013.

Justice Lal Jan Khattak and Justice Attique Shah issued orders in this respect after completion of hearing into a petition filed by 16 sacked MDA employees.

Ex-CM Ameer Haider Khan Hoti had ordered the sacking of these employees over the illegal allotment and sale of plots specified for the people’s welfare in Ghazikot Township, a posh housing scheme in Mansehra.

The National Accountability Bureau had also filed a Rs440 million reference against the sacked employees. However, it was dropped on the recovery of the money.

The sacked employees had moved the PHC’s Abbottabad Circuit Bench for relief but the court referred their case to a PHC full bench, which referred it back to the circuit bench.

Among the employees restored are MDA director Assad Ali Shah, deputy director Riazul Haq, assistant director Akhtar Khan, account officer Sajjad Ahmad Khan, housing officer Mazhar Hussain, building office inspector Saeed Khan, assistants Ajmad Shah and Azmat Hussain, senior clerks Mohammad Rafique and Mohammad Khursheed, accounts clerk Mohammad Khursheed, storekeeper Roshan Jan, patwari Mansoor Ali, personal assistant to the director Mohammad Mushtaq, draftsman Mohammad Fayyaz and sub-engineer Mohammad Ishfaq.

FAMILY ROBBED: Five armed men on Friday deprived an influential family of cash, gold jewellery and foreign currency in Chikriali area here.

Head of the family Riffat Akbar told the police that the robbers, who were in late 30s, spoke Urdu with her and Hindko with each other.

Police spokesman Jamal Zen said an inquiry into the robbery had been launched.

He said the police would arrest robbers without delay for legal action.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2018