Evacuee properties: SC directs FIA to take action in response to AGP’s report

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to take action on the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) report on evacuee properties.

A two-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, and comprising Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, heard the suo moto on the illegal sale of evacuee properties.

Chairman Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) earlier submitted a report on properties in the possession of the Trust.

The report contains the details of48,000 evacuee properties.

Shoaib Suddle, chairman of the one-man commission, said the AGP had conducted an audit of the properties in the past as well and found illegality in7,143 properties.

He complained that the Trust supplied only 50 per cent of property record.

The Court, therefore, ordered the ETPB chairman to provide complete record of the properties to the auditor general.

The DG FIA was asked to vacate the properties, which are illegally occupied.

The Court ordered the director general FIA to file an initial report on the action against the persons illegally occupying the evacuee properties within one month.

Thebench directed the AGP to audit the evacuee properties in two months.

The bench also sought the details of the fund, set up by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, for the relief of families of the Peshawar church victims.

Samuel Pyara, leader of Christian community, informed that the federal and the KP government contributed Rs100 million each for the fund.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Sindh, upon the direction of the Court, submitted a report pertaining to the attack on Patron-in-Chief of Hindu Council Ramesh Kumar.

Dr Ramesh in the last hearing had informed thebench that he has been given death threats by one Mahboob Qazi, stated to be a government servant.

He said that Mahboob came to his apartment in Bath Island in a Hilux vehicle and beat his guard.

According to the report, the Sindh police has registered an FIR.

Sajid Mehmood, informed the bench that Ramesh Kumar is his neighbour and his guards harass the people of the area.

The chief justice advised Ramesh and Sajid to resolve the matter through dialogue. The case was adjourned for one month.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021