ISLAMABAD, Oct 15: A three-judge bench of the supreme court on Monday reserved judgment on the petition of the relatives of Abdus Sattar Dhero, former managing director of the Port Qasim Authority whose properties were frozen by the chairman NAB, stating those were properties made by him with ill-gotten money.

Reserving the judgment, Justice Mohammad Bashir Jehangiri, head of the bench, observed that the issue of freezing of benami properties, could not be left to civil courts where cases remain pending for long.

The prosecution’s case was that Abdus Sattar Dhero, former MD PQA made millions of rupees during his service through corruption. When the reference was pending, the NAB chairman also ordered freezing the assets of his relatives.

They filed a case in the high court, challenging that their assets were frozen without a hearing. The case ultimately reached the supreme court which was heard on Monday.

Raja Mohammad Ibrahim Satti, special public prosecutor, stated that petitions before the SC related to events when accountability reference was pending.