LAHORE - The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday ordered the Punjab University (PU) to hold an audit of B.A degrees of the past five years.
The court directed PU’s counsel to present the audit report on the next date of hearing while adjourning the hearing for two weeks. LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan passed the orders while hearing a petition for verification of degrees of the lawyers.
PU’s counsel presented a report about the degrees of newly elected members of the Punjab Bar Council (PBC) during the hearing. He further submitted that Ali Ahsan Rana, elected Vice- President of Lahore Bar Association from Model Town seat, had a fake B.A degree. He submitted that seven university officials had been suspended over the issue and the matter had been forwarded to disciplinary committee for further action.
Court adjourns hearing of Ashiana case till 24th
An Accountability Court (AC) on Wednesday, adjourning hearing of Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing scheme case till March 24, summoned more witnesses.
Accountability Court Judge Amjad Nazir Chaudhry conducted the case proceedings, wherein jail authorities produced Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, former Lahore Development Authority Director General Ahad Cheema and other accused. The court recorded statements of two prosecution witnesses- Ali Arslan and Saeed Akhtar, during the proceedings. The defence counsel Amjad Perviaz also cross examined both the witnesses.
Subsequently, the court adjourned further hearing till March 24 and summoned more prosecution witnesses on the next date of hearing. It is pertinent to mention here that the court had recorded statements of 23 prosecution witnesses so far whereas the bureau had submitted a list of 86 witnesses in the case. The court had indicted 10 accused, including Shehbaz Sharif in the case, The NAB in the reference alleged that Shehbaz Sharif being the Chief Minister of Punjab misused his authority by unlawfully assuming powers of Board of Directors of PLDC.
It said he in connivance with his co-suspects awarded a contract to an ineligible proxy firm that resulted in failure of Ashiana Housing Scheme causing a loss to public exchequer and deprived 61,000 applicants of houses.