Hyderabad:
The court of responsibility No1 Hyderabad, chaired by judge Naseem Akhtar Soomro, acquired 12 accused of district Naushahro Feroze in the mega reference of corruption linked to the purchase of land for the Hyderabad-Sukkur highway (M-6). The reference involved more than 5 billion rupees in alleged corruption.
However, business is still underway against 30 suspects, including assistant commissioners of Matiari and Naushehro Feroze, who are on the run after pocketing billions of rupees intended to buy land for the highway.
The court accepted the acquired pleadings filed by the accused and released them with honor after concluding that no evidence had been found against them during the surveys carried out by NAB and the anti-corruption establishment (ACE).
The acquitted individuals include two former Mukhtiarkars, three clerks, three tapedars and the former personal assistant (PA) of the former Naushehro Feroze spending commissioner. The decision was reserved after the final arguments by the councils and was returned yesterday in a two -page written judgment.
The judgment indicated that no incriminating material was found against the applicants during the surveys, and the special prosecutor of NAB had also confirmed the absence of recorded evidence. The anti-corruption establishment had initially investigated the presumed corruption of the land acquisition process and then transferred the case to the NAB.
The accused was acquitted under article 265 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CPRC). Those acquitted include, Shafiq Ahmed Soomro (former Mukhtiarkar Mehrabpur), Niaz Ali Ajan, (former Mukhtiarkar Birhirya City), Abdul Aziz Ansari (former PA at DC Naushehro Feroze), Abdul Gheffar and Tanahel), Ghelalam Haqqani Sehto and Tanafar Tapedars), Rustam Khoso (former account clerk), Khalid Masood Channa (private entrepreneur), Sajjad Ahmed Memon (former social protection officer), Aftab Ahmed Soomro and Siraj Ahmed Memon (stamp vendors) and Abdul Ghaffar Marri (Public Notary).
It is relevant to mention that Nab had filed this reference before the court of responsibility in 2023, alleging a diversion of 5.8 billion rupees in the funds allocated to the acquisition of land for the M-6 motorway in the Matiari and Naushehro Feroze districts. The case included several government representatives, private and individual entrepreneurs, with a total of 42 people appointed accused.
While 12 have now been acquitted, the reference against the other 30 accused, notably DC Matiari Adnan Rasheed suspended and absorbing / suspended from Naushehro Feroze Tashfeen Alamfeen, is still in judgment before the court of responsibility n ° 1.
