KARACHI, Oct 30: A suit for damages and compensation of Rs50 million, filed by Asif Siddiqi, a Grade-18 custom officer, came up before Justice Mujeebullah Siddiqui of the Sindh High Court on Monday.

The plaintiff, represented by counsel Aziz A. Shaikh, has made M/s Iqbal Fareed, ex-chairman CBR, M. Anwar Ali, ex-member Custom and Sarfraz Ahmad, the then member Sales Tax and Administration, defendants in the case.

It is the case of the plaintiff that the defendants stopped the plaintiff from performing Umrah and also refused permission to seriously ill parents in India. He claimed that his name was put on the ECL due to personal grudge and disliking, since no criminal or civil proceedings were pending against him.

His contention was that the entire exercise was an example of misuse of power by the defendants jointly and severally, particularly in the absence of any complaint, departmental inquiry or any other proceedings.

On the contrary, the plaintiff maintained that NAB had investigated corruption charges against the former CBR chariman.

When the matter came up, representative of Fakhruddin G.Ibrahim & Company, sought time for filing written reply. The court accordingly granted 15 days time to do so.

KBCA RESTRAINED: Another bench of the SHC comprising Justice Moosa K. Leghari restrained the Karachi Building Control Authority from demolishing legally-constructed parts of a commercial complex in the PECHS area, adds APP.