PESHAWAR, Feb 11: An accountability court here on Monday indicted former NWFP chief minister Aftab Ahmad Sherpao in the famous

Ring Road land acquisition scam.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge and decided to stand trial. The court presided over by Said Maroof Khan fixed Feb 16 for next hearing and summoned four witnesses.

The court has already framed charges against the prime accused, Haji Gul Sher, former senator from Fata, and three other accused on Oct 27 last year.

The said four accused - Haji Gul Sher, a former tehsildar, Mosam Khan and patwari, Nisar Muhammad and Dilawar Khan - had also pleaded not guilty and now faces trial.

As Sherpao was in the UK and was declared proclaimed offender by the court at the time, charges were not framed against him.

Five of the co-accused are absconders in the instant case: former provincial minister, Habibullah Kundi, three brothers of Gul Sher, namely, Haji Khatam Gul, Jam Sher and Juma Sher, and a former land acquisition collector, Syed Ayub Shah.

All the absconding accused have already been sentenced in absentia to three years rigorous imprisonment.

The arrested accused are charged with inflicting a loss of Rs310.067 millions to the exchequer in connivance with the five absconding accused.

The charge sheet against them states that they had fraudulently and dishonestly got fixed compensation of land situated in Mahal Lala Ahmad and village Saloo, Tehsil Peshawar at exorbitant rates.

Moreover, the same court adjourned hearing against Sherpao in a case pertaining to illegal allotment of a plot here in Hayatabad Township.

The National Accountability Bureau has already accepted the plea bargain application of the main accused in the case, Jawed Alam Khanzada, a former secretary of housing and physical planning department.

Another accountability court presided over by Attaullah Khan adjourned hearing in the reference against Sherpao pertaining to illegal appointments in education department. The court fixed Feb 18 for next hearing.

Eight witnesses appeared before court, but none of them had brought with them the relevant record.

They were directed by court to produce the record on next hearing.

Meanwhile, Aftab Sherpao has supported the proposal of conducting elections within the political parties before the October elections.

Talking to newsmen in the premises of accountability courts, Sherpao also welcomed the government decision of introducing graduation as minimum qualification for participation in future polls.

However, he said that the procedure and rules of business of national and provincial assemblies were very complicated and training should be provided to parliamentarians.

About future alliance of his party with any other party, he said that their manifesto was clear to all and their doors were open to all such parties which support that manifesto.

He expressed astonishment that the parties which were demanding restoration of democracy in the country were themselves opposed to the proposal of holding polls in their parties.

The former chief minister praised the government decision of restoring joint electorate system, stating that they had in the past opposed separate electorate system as they considered minorities part of this country.