SHC issues notices to NAB, builders in Fazaia Housing Scheme case.

Byline: Ishaq Tanoli

KARACHI -- The Sindh High Court on Thursday issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau and the builders on an application against the procedure to disburse money to the affectees of the Fazaia Housing Scheme.

The affectees through their counsel moved the court against an earlier order of the SHC and also expressed the apprehension that the money might be disbursed to the persons who were not the allottees of the project.

The two-judge bench headed by Justice Omar Sial issued notices to NAB and the builders for July 22 when the connected matters are fixed for hearing.

It also directed NAB to continue its process of inviting claims and verifying the same, but cautioned that no money would be released till next hearing from the accounts which had been attached.

The lawyers for the affectees submitted that on May 19 a divisional bench of the SHC had passed an order in which the builders were given six months to compensate the allottees of the project.

They further argued that on June 11 a single-judge bench of the SHC passed an order in a suit and directed that the amount of compensation be deposited within 15 days.

However, they submitted that the single bench order was suspended by a two-judge bench of the SHC on June 19 on an appeal filed by the builders and the Directorate of Estate Projects of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

The lawyers alleged that the builders and NAB had obtained the May 19 order through misrepresentations and collusion between the two parties to the detriment of the allottees.

They further said that the alleged collusion between NAB and the builders was evident from the fact that on June 22 NAB had published an advertisement in the press in which the orders of this court had been misrepresented and claims from the allottees had been invited.

However, the counsel argued that the allottees of the project had not been called by NAB in connection with their claims and expressed the apprehension that under the grab of various orders passed by the SHC money from the accounts of the Fazaia Housing Scheme might be disbursed to persons who were not allottees of the project.

'Let in the first instance, notice be issued to the respondents for 22.7.2020 when the connected matters are fixed for hearing. In the meantime, NAB shall continue its process of inviting...