ISLAMABAD, May 10: The apex court cannot prosecute people on its own despite the prevalence of corruption in the society, says Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui. It (the Supreme Court) could only take up cases of those (people) evidence against whom were presented before it, he added.

The chief justice made these observations on Monday when Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan while defending the case of Pir Mazharul Haq, former Sindh minister for law and housing in the PPP government, pleaded that the accountability had become selective wherein politicians or junior staff were picked but senior officials were usually not touched.

"It should not be (construed as) a ground that since Mr X has not been involved in the case, therefore, the accused should also be acquitted of charges," the chief justice observed.

Aitzaz Ahsan argued that the allegation of misuse of authority had never been an offence under the Ehtesab Ordinance in which his client had been sentenced to five years besides being imposed a fine of Rs2 million.

Pir Mazharul Haq had challenged his conviction awarded by the Ehtesab Bench of the Sindh High Court, which had sentenced him to five years for causing a loss of Rs2.7 million to the state by misusing his authority by regularizing a plot in DP Township Karachi, without any auction, by converting it into an industrial plot despite a ban on the sale of the state land.

The allegation also contended that the plot was sold at a throw away price of Rs200 per square yard, much less than the then market price of Rs1,200 per square yard.

Aitzaz Ahsan stated that the plot was regularized in 1993 but the ban on the sale of state property was imposed in March 1994 besides there was also no record available to suggest that such plots in the past were ever auctioned. The bench comprising the chief justice, Justice Javed Iqbal and Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar later adjourned the case for Tuesday.