LAHORE, Dec 2: An accountability court on Monday convicted Punjab prisons former DIG Ghulam Sarwar Khan Lalwani and sentenced him to five years’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed Rs500,000 fine.
Announcing the judgment, the court also ordered forfeiture of three plots of one-kanal each belonging to Lalwani. It also disqualified him for 10 years for holding any public office. He was given the advantage of clause 382-B which means his period of incarceration would be included in the total imprisonment.
He was also granted B-class in jail.
Sarwar Lalwani retired in 1967 as primary school teacher. He inherited 18 acres of agriculture land. In 1974, he joined the prisons department as jail superintendent. He amassed huge assets in his own name and in the name of his dependents, including wife and father.
The plots forfeited had been purchased at a cost of Rs520,000 in the Punjab Government Employees Cooperative Housing Society, Lahore, in the Institute of Engineers Cooperative Housing Society and the Superior Courts Employees Cooperative Housing Society in 1986 and 1989.
He also owns an apartment in Landmark Plaza on the Jail Road, a house in Mehrban Colony, Multan, and a house in the Hunza block of Allama Iqbal Town, Lahore. The three properties are worth more than Rs6 million. Besides this, he owns Falcon Public School, Okara.
Lalwani was arrested on February 15, 2001. Prosecution produced 22 witnesses. During investigation, NAB unearthed more property registered in his wife’s name. They include a four-kanal plot in Tibba Sultanpur, Multan, one plot in PCSIR phase-II, a plot in Mehrban Colony, Multan, a house, two shops, one flat, eight kanals of land on the Ravi Road, Okara.
PLEA BARGAIN: An accountability court on Monday ordered the release of PML leader Azizul Haq Qureshi after the NAB accepted his plea bargain.
The accused was alleged to have misappropriated Rs27.6 million. He deposited Rs12 million and furnished guarantee to deposit the remaining amount in four equal instalments.
CHARGESHEET: An accountability court charge-sheeted on Monday Khyber Tractors Ltd directors Asif Sharif, Khalid Sharif and manager Hammad Khalid for misappropriating Rs84 million.
The accused pleaded not guilty and the court summoned prosecution witnesses to appear on Dec 12 for the recording of evidence.
According to the chargesheet, the accused had deprived people of Rs84 million deposited by them to purchase cheaper tractors which the accused had advertised in newspapers.—APP