KARACHI, Dec 2: The Accountability Court-II adjourned hearing in a reference (24/2002) filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against former Sindh minister of industries and mineral resources Agha Tariq and others till Dec 27.

Agha Tariq is facing charges of having conceived a plan to deprive the Sindh government of its expensive land in Malir district.

According to the reference, he filed an application with his own department through his wife, Gulnar Begum, and in connivance with the other accused obtained an excavation licence for mineral lease for 30 years over 341.68 acres.

In August 1995, his wife moved an application to the then chief minister, Syed Abdullah Shah, requesting the conversion of lease of this land to 99 years, for residential/commercial/industrial purposes and the chief minister passed orders for the submission of a summary.

The application was processed by accused Ali Sher Shaikh ex-secretary Land Utilisation, Board of Revenue, who submitted a distorted summary with concealed facts and in violation of law, rules of business and existing ban.

Both Abdullah Shah and Ali Sher Shaikh, along with their associates, granted fresh lease of the said land and changed the status from mineral to residential/commercial purposes.

Meanwhile, the Accountability Court-I adjourned the hearing of a reference (23/2007) against Shaikh Shahid Umer and Faisal Shaikh till Dec 18.

Shaikh Shahid Umar has been charged with criminal breach of trust by remitting $104,800, given to him for business, to the account of his parents.—APP