Explanation sought from 31 judicial officers

LAHORE:Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan has sought explanation from 31 judicial officers who were found absent or late from their courtrooms.

The chief justice conducted inspection of district courts of Lahore through an online system installed in the Directorate of District Judiciary and found 31 judicial officers absent or latecomers, said a press release issued here on Monday.

Out of them 4 Additional District and Sessions Judges and 6 Civil Judges were found late while 9 Additional District and Sessions Judges and 12 Civil Judges remained absent whole day without intimation or prior permission.

Chief Justice Khan has directed Lahore District and Sessions Judge to gather explanations from the delinquent judicial officers and send to LHC within three days.

remand extended: An accountability court on Monday extended judicial remand by March 1 of Engineering & Transport Planning Agency (Tepa) former Chief Engineer Mazhar Hussain Asif, an accused of amassing Rs700 million through corrupt means.

The court has extended judicial remand of the accused with a direction to the NAB to submit reference against the accused as soon as possible.

In this case, the NAB had also arrested Asif’s co-accused namely Anjum Zeeshan, who is nephew of Asif. Mazhar transferred Rs200 million in the account of Zeeshan which both could not allegedly justify which led to the arrest of the accused.

Mazhar Hussain was found involved in commission of alleged offence of corruption and corrupt practices as being public office holder in Tepa and LDA whereas the assets worth approximately Rs700 million allegedly amassed by him were found disproportionate to his known sources of income.

During inquiry, it was revealed that the accused holds several lucrative properties, bank accounts in his own and family members’ names along with Benamidar accused Anjum Zeeshan.

The accused owns three plots in LDA Avenue-I, measuring one Kanal each, two 10 marla plots in the same housing society. He also allegedly held four flats in the Mozang area of Lahore which were later sold out against a hefty amount.

Accused Mazhar Hussain also purchased a piece of 16 Kanal and 11 marla land at Moza Ameerpura, Lahore, in the name of Benamidar accused Anjum Zeeshan whose account was also used to hide the ill-gotten money. Anjum Zeeshan was employed in Tepa against salary of Rs20,000 per month. The analysis of the bank accounts of accused Mazhar Hussain and his other family members also revealed that an amount of Rs200 million was transferred into their accounts of which sources are still unjustified on part of the accused. He also could not allegedly validate the bank transactions worth Rs80 million into his own account.