SC orders FIA to retrieve illegally-occupied Evacuee Trust properties

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday directed the auditor general of Pakistan (AGP) to conduct within two months the audit of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and directed the FIA DG to launch an operation for clearing the properties of the board, occupied illegally.

The court directed the board chairman to ensure provision of all relevant documents and details to the auditor general of Pakistan for audit. During the hearing, Muhammad Ikram Chaudhry, counsel for the ETPB, told the court that in pursuance of the court order, details about the board properties have been submitted to the court. Similarly, Dr Shoaib Suddle, chairman of Minority Commission, informed the court that the auditor general of Pakistan (AGP) had earlier conducted an audit of the Evacuee Trust Property Board and found irregularities in 7,143 units.

The court directed the Federal Investigation Agency to take action over the report of the AGP by evacuating the board properties illegally occupied and submit the progress report. Dr Ramesh Kumar the other day had informed the court that he was attacked by unidentified people in Karachi. At this, the court had sought a report from the Sindh IGP with the observation that the IGP should make sure that no untoward incident happens in the province.