KARACHI - An accountability court Thursday remanded a senior KMC official into NAB custody on physical remand in illegal plots allotment case until May 25.
Saif Abbas was produced before the court, wherein NAB inquiry officer told that the suspect was a senior official of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation who also worked as a member of the media wing of unified Muttahida Qaumi Movement and was arrested by NAB on Wednesday for alleged illegal sale of over 265 acres of precious land in the metropolis, which caused huge financial losses to the national exchequer.
The NAB official pleaded for fifteen-day physical remand for further interrogation. NAB Karachi arrested Saif Abbas, former director land KDA (currently serving as director sports and culture KMC), who was wanted in an investigation pertaining to illegal sale and lease of 300 plots comprising 265 acres of precious state land. He was arrested from his office. Providing some detail before the court, the NAB official submitted that the said land located at Bhains Colony Deh Gangiaro was earmarked for wool washing.
The suspect in his capacity as director land of KDA misused his authority by allowing illegal leases of the plots. In the same case, an accused Shoaib Memon was arrested on May 3, 2018. The interrogation of the accused was under way. Saif Abbas had also worked as media person associated with unified MQM.
He was not an official spokesperson for the united MQM. However, he was one of the joint in-charges of the central media wing of the MQM. Currently, he was associated with Dr Farooq Sattar-led MQM-PIB faction.
Reply sought from ECP
The Sindh High Court on Thursday sought reply from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and others until May 29 on a plea filed by two PPP lawmakers against Elections Act 2017.
A two-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar heard the case filed by PPP MNA from NA-210 Jaccobabad Ehsan-ur-Rehman, PPP MPA from PS-81 Abdul Rauf Khoso and Kashmore’s former Nazim Saleem Jan Mazari, seeking abolish of the election act. The bench directed the deputy attorney general and provincial advocate general to submit comments on behalf of the authorities concerned. The petition also pleaded the court to declare the provisions of Section 203 of the Election Act 2017 as subject to the trappings of Article 62 and 63 of the constitution and being contrary to the spirit of fundamental rights sanctified by Article 9, 14 and 17 of the constitution.
