ISLAMABAD – Hearing a petition against the Railways land scam, allegedly worth more than Rs 25 billion, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the remaining respondents to furnish their replies within three days.
A four-member bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Muhammad Sair Ali, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday said its short order that “as far as the remaining respondents who have not submitted replies are concerned, ordinarily the presumption is that they have nothing to contest the petition. However, we give them another opportunity of three days to file their reply, if so desired by them”.
The court said in pursuance of its notices, Railways Board Secretary Shafiqullah, former Railways secretary Lt Gen (r) Saeeduz Zafar, former member finance Khurshid Ahmed Khan and former marketing GM Hamid Hasan Butt had already filed their replies. To a petitioners’ lawyer’s request, the court directed its office to supply him copies of the replies so far received within three days.
The court also allowed Syed Ali Zafar, lawyer for the respondents, to file a reply within three days. The court adjourned further proceedings for three weeks.
