Adjourning the hearing of Rs 9 billion Bank of Punjab loan scam on Thursday, the Supreme Court directed the Punjab government to shift the owner of Haris Steel Mills Sheikh Afzal from jail to Services Hospital Lahore because of his multiple health problems.
A three-member bench led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing Rs 9 billion Bank of Punjab loan. Asad Manzoor Butt and Ahmed Awais, counsel for Sheikh Afzal of Haris Steel Mills, counsel for Bank of Punjab Rashdin Nawaz Kasuri and Deputy Prosecutor General NAB and Additional Advocate General Punjab Jawad appeared before the bench.
During the hearing, the bench asked Additional Advocate General Punjab to contact the Chief Secretary for the shifting of Sheikh Afzal to Services Hospital Lahore till 2 pm. After which, Jawad told the bench that communication was established but the home secretary was not available. The bench then issued directives for the implementation of the court orders till Friday (today).
Kasuri assured the bench to transfer all the 29 properties, in the name of purchasers against the recovery of financial institution's loans from Sheikh Afzal which, he apprised the court, was sold by the solvency committee. Kasuri told the bench that the secretary DHA Lahore declined to transfer a property because of a Civil Judge Lahore's stay order. Upon which, the bench directed Registrar Lahore High Court to issue a notice to the concerned Civil Judge to explain why a stay order was granted in a matter which was under adjudication of the apex court. The court directed Bank of Punjab and the NAB to settle the matter with the counsel of Sheikh Afzal mutually. The hearing was adjourned till May 1.