OKARA: Senior Civil Judge Abrar Ali Khan denied Anti-Corruption Establishment’s (ACE’s) request for a further five day of physical remand of Khawar Maneka. Instead, Maneka has been sent to the district jail for 14 days of judicial remand.

The prosecution argued for an extension of physical remand, citing the need to recover some case-related documents from Mr Manika.

Defense counsels Rao Nazar Farid Nadeem and Rai Muhammad Arshad Raza said that the police’s request appeared to be for mental and physical torture rather than for recovering evidence, as there was nothing to be retrieved from Mr Maneka.

The Okara ACE had registered an FIR against Mr Maneka and his two sons, Ibrahim Maneka and Musa Maneka, under sections 409, 420, 468, and 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code, along with section 5/2/47 of The Prohibition of Corruption Act.

The accusation is related to the alleged illegal occupation of a piece of Auqaf Department’s land at Haveli Lakkha, where a market and a marriage lawn were constructed without approval from the Municipal Committee Haveli Lakkha, resulting in significant losses to the government exchequer. Maneka’s sons were not present in court.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2023