Two housing societies scandal: PHC rejects developer plea to remove his name from ECL

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday rejected the plea by a professor to remove his name from the Exit Control List (ECL).

A two-member bench comprising Justice Sahibzada Assadullah and Justice Wiqar Ahmad heard the petition filed by Prof Dr Hameedullah Jan.His name was put on the ECL on the recommendation of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

He was accused of not providing plots of land to the people even after receiving millions of rupees from them.Malik Shahbaz Khan Advocate appeared for the allottees. The writ petition said the petitioner had served as professor who had developed two housing societies on Warsak Road.

The counsel said the NAB launched an inquiry against his client and put his name on the ECL.He said his client had provided plots of land to all the people who had paid for the same and returned the money to those who were not given the land. The counsel said, hence, there was no reason for putting the name of Prof Dr Hameedullah Jan on the ECL.

The counsel said the NAB was mulling an inquiry but the anti-corruption watchdog could probe a case when the amount in question was Rs500 million or above. He said that the amount to be inquired against his client was less than Rs500 million and that cut the NAB powers to probe the case.

But the counsel for the allottees, Malik Shahbaz Khan, told the court nobody had been given the plots of land even after payment of the money. He said the hard-earned money of the poor people would go to waste if the petitioner’s name was removed from the ECL.

NAB lawyer Salman Fayyaz Meer submitted to the court that the name of the petitioner had been put on the ECL. As far as the rule of Rs500 milion amount investigation was concerned, he said, the Supreme Court had declared the rule null and void and an appeal was going to be heard by the court.

The counsel said the name of Prof Dr Hameedullah Jan should not be removed from the ECP as the matter related to the money of the poor people.