ISLAMABAD: The accountability court of Islamabad dismissed the objections raised by claimants of purported properties of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over the auction, today.
According to resources, Accountability judge Syed Asghar Ali on April 22 directed the revenue authorities of the Punjab government to auction unclaimed properties of Mr. Sharif within 60 days since he is absconding in Toshakhana reference while accepting the application filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The bureau in its application had sought directives for the authorities concerned to sell the attached properties of Mr Sharif under section 88 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). Three petitioners objected to the order of the district administration to auction three properties — a house at Lahore’s Upper Mall and two different agricultural lands measuring 88 kanals and 105 acres. dawn reported.
The deputy commissioners of Lahore and Sheikhupura have been directed to sell immovable properties within 60 days which include House No 135, Upper Mall, Lahore, and 88.4 kanals of agricultural land in Ferozwattan in Sheikhupura district.
The applicants Mian Barkat Ali, Aslam Aziz and Ashraf Malik challenged the auction of these properties.
They took the plea that the deputy commissioner in contradiction to the order of the accountability court had announced auction of “disputed” properties.
Mian Barkat had challenged the auction of House No 135, Upper Mall, saying that the house was among those non-corporate assets of Ittefaq Group, which were settled during overall settlement among seven families who were members of Ittefaq Group.
These families were of Mian Mohammad Sharif, Mian Mohammad Shafi, Mian Mehrajuddin, Mian Sirajuddin, Mian Barkat Ali, Mian Abdul Aziz and Mian Idrees Bashir.
Mr Barkat’s petition said a committee comprising Javed Shafi, Waqas Riaz, Suleman Shehbaz and Mukhtar Hussain executed a joint agreement on April 6, 2014 and the “house in question came to the share of Mian Barkat Ali and family”. Dawn reported.
According to the petition, the land is paying revenue to the provincial government and the petitioner is earning livelihood through the land and he cannot be deprived of his legitimate source of earning.
The third petitioner Ashraf Malik claimed that the land measuring 88 kanal and 4-1/2 marla situated in Moza Ferozwattan, Sheikhupura district, was on the list of the properties of Nawaz Sharif.
The petition said Mr Malik acquired the land from Mr Sharif by paying Rs75 million to him vide a sale agreement of May 29, 2019.
The petition said the transactions had been made through banking channels but since Mr Sharif was apprehended by NAB, the agreement could not be executed and a suit for execution of the land was pending with the senior civil judge of Sheikhupura. The three petitions requested the court to set aside the order of auction of these properties.
