LAHORE, Oct 16: The Lahore High Court will take up on Nov 6 the writ petition of a trader of Multan who alleged that he was deprived of about six kg gold by the Customs authorities in Karachi in April 1988.
Mehdi Hasan filed the writ petition in 1995, seven years after he was ‘forced’ by the then ministers Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Syed Hamid Raza Gilani besides PPP leader Piyar Ali Allana ‘to reach at a compromise with the Customs authorities.’
The Lahore High Court had sought reports from the inspectors-general of Punjab and Sindh police, Customs department’s Karachi collector, the director-general of the FIA, the chairman of the CBR and the ministry of interior.
But none of them have so far responded to the Lahore High Court directives.
All these officials have been directed to submit their reports at the earliest and ensure the presence of their representatives in the court on Nov 6.
The trader stated in the writ petition that the officials concerned also ignored the directives of the Federal Ombudsman issued in March 1995 in this regard.
Mehdi Hasan submitted that he had on April 2, 1988, given 480 tolas of gold to goldsmith Hanif Musa of Abu Bakr Building, Noor Masjid, Karachi, for making ornaments. The goldsmith told Mr Hasan a few days later that the Customs authorities raided and took away all the gold.
The trader came to know that the raid was bogus and the Customs authorities did not record the event in their official roaster.
According to Mehdi Hasan, the Customs officials of Karachi contacted him and offered Rs500,000 as compensation. On his refusal, the Customs officials approached the then minister Makhdoom Amin Faheem and PPP leader Piyar Ali Allana.
Makhdoom Amin Faheem extended the Customs’ offer to Mehdi Hasan through his cabinet colleague Makhdoom Hamid Raza Gilani.
Goldsmith Hanif Musa also reported harassment at the hands of the Customs authorities who insisted that the compensation money should be accepted.
Subsequently, Mehdi Hasan moved the Federal Ombudsman who sought the intervention of the CBR chairman. The ombudsman had on March 25, 1995, directed the FIA director-general to investigate into the matter. But the officials concerned failed to make any progress.
The trader has prayed to the Lahore High Court that his gold be given back to him or he be compensated for the loss.