Rs 50 billion Royal Palm land scam case: Supreme Court adjourns hearing for three weeks

The Supreme Court Monday adjourned irregularities in leasing out a large chunk of Pakistan Railways land to Royal Palm, for three weeks on the request of respondents, as they have not filed their replies. A four-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry comprising Justice Muhammad Sair Ali, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday was hearing Rs 50 billion Royal Palm Golf and Country Club land scam case.
Shafiqullah, Secretary Railways Board, Lieutenant General (Retd) Saeeduz Zafar, former secretary Railways, Khurshid Ahmed Khan, former member (Finance), who later became Secretary Chairman Railways and Hamid Hasan Butt, former GM marketing filed their replies regarding the case.
The court observed that rest of the respondents who have not submitted their replies so far, have nothing to defend to themselves. However, the court gave three more days to the remaining respondents to file reply, if so desired by them. During the hearings, a counsel for the petitioners stated that copies of the replies of respondents have not been supplied to him. The Supreme Court is directed to do the needful within three days.
Syed Ali Zafar, counsel M/S Mainland Hasnain (Pvt) Ltd, requested the court to make party/respondent in the petition as well. As the learned counsel for the petitioners has no objection to the implement of the applicant therefore M/S Mainland Hasnain (Pvt) Ltd was allowed to become party as a respondent. The counsel for the petitioners through AOR shall file the amended title of the petition within 3 days. The learned Attorney General has stated that he had received record and he needs some time to file reply in court. The court adjourned the case for three weeks.