LAHORE: An accountability court on Wednesday dismissed the acquittal applications of Jang group editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rehman and two others in a reference of illegal land allotment.
The court observed that the prosecution should be given a fair opportunity to produce its material and directed to present its witnesses on September 22.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) alleged that Mir Shakil illegally obtained exemption of 54 plots each measuring one-kanal in Johar Town. It said the allotment of the land had been in connivance with the then chief minister Nawaz Sharif against the exemption policy and laws. It alleged the suspects caused a loss of rupees 143.53 million to the national exchequer.
Other two suspects are former director general of Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Humayon Faiz Rasool and its former director of land development department Mian Bashir Ahmad. Nawaz Sharif had been declared an absconder for not joining the court’s proceedings. The suspects through their counsel argued that the prosecution story was false, frivolous and without any incriminating evidence. They urged the court to allow their applications and acquit them of the charges.
NAB special prosecutor however opposed the applications and stated that “strong evidence” was available on record to establish the offences of corruption against the suspects. He argued that the suspects filed the acquittal applications at a premature stage as material were yet to be examined by the trial court. The court after hearing both the sides dismissed the acquittal application for being not maintainable.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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