Lahore High Court Chief Justice Azmat Saeed on Friday placed the services of two district and session judges at the disposal of the Punjab government for their appointment as special judges of Anti-corruption courts of Rawalindi and Lahore.
According to the LHC notification, the services of D&SJ Ameer Muhammad Khan, who was awaiting posting, were given to the Punjab government for his appointment as Anti-corruption Court, Rawalpindi special judge. While, D&SJ Mazhar Hussain, who was D&SJ at the LHC establishment, will be appointed as Anti-corruption Court, Lahore special judge till the date of his superannuation on January 9, 2012. Furthermore, the LHC would be made a party in the case against 229 civil judges.
LHC registrar made party to petition against 229 civil judges: LHC Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Friday allowed a petitioner-lawyer to make the LHC registrar a party to his petition seeking the removal of 229 civil judges-cum-judicial magistrates of Punjab who had failed to pass departmental examination for regularisation.
Chaudhry Fakhir Razzaq advocate had filed the petition against the Civil Judge-cum-Judicial Magistrate Asif Iqbal and 228 others judges recruited by the LHC in the middle of 2010.
The petitioner said that some of the respondent judges did not even know the basic court workings and legal procedures. He said that they were causing disappointment among the litigants which would lead to increased burden on the LHC and the Supreme Court due to increased burden of appeal petitions against the lower courts’ judgments.
He said these judges were directly appointed by the high court last year, after written test and interview and it was regrettable that they proved incompetent in the departments’ test, adding that only 59 of the 288 judges had passed the test. He requested the court to allow making the LHC registrar a party to the case as the LHC was also responsible since it had done the recruitment.
Justice Bandial adjourned the hearing till January 19, allowing the petitioner to file an amended memo of the respondents, including the name of LHC’s registrar.
Arrest warrant of NAB’s second investigation officer issued: An accountability court on Friday issued the arrest warrant of National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Second Investigation Officer Aftab Ahmad in a reference filed against former Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) employee Zafar Yaseen.
The court also directed the NAB authorities to stop the salary of Investigation Officer Aftab Ahmad who was not presenting himself before the court to conduct the reference. Aftab is the fifth investigation officer whose arrest warrant has been issued during 2011 due to non-appearance in the court for hearing references.
Earlier, on August 30, the court had issued the non-bail able arrest warrant of another Investigation Officer Yasir Malik on the same grounds, in the same reference.
Judicial remand of Rao Shakeel extended: An accountability court on Friday extended the judicial remand of former Hajj director Rao Shakeel Ahmad, who had been involved in financial corruption, till December 20.
The accused was arrested on the charges of maintaining various bank accounts that he used to conduct heavy transactions from.
The court, while extending the remand, directed the NAB authorities to file a reference against the accused by the next date of hearing.
Judicial remand of NIB scam accused extended:
An accountability court on Friday extended the judicial remand of Sheikh Afzal, the main person accused in the NIB Bank scam, till December 24.
Sheikh Afzal is the owner of the Haris Steel Mill and was involved in the NIB Bank fraud case which had involved the embezzlement of Rs 33.3 million.
He had taken a loan from the NIB Bank for Haris Steel Mills, which he did not return wilfully.
The court, while extending the remand, directed the NAB authorities to file a reference against the accused by the next date of the hearing.
Judicial remand of Muhammad Adnan extended: An accountability court on Friday extended the judicial remand of Muhammad Adnan, who was nominated in a case of fraudulent withdrawal of money under various adjustments headed by the district police officials and the patrolling police in the Accountant General Office, Punjab till, December 20. The accused was a civilian but was shown as a police official and he withdrew hundreds of thousand rupees fraudulently from the AG Office during the last year.
The court, while extending the remand, directed the NAB authorities to file a reference against the accused by the next date of the hearing.
