KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) rejected plea for urgent release before election on petition filed by Muhammad Javed Hanif, former chairman Karachi Port Trust (KPT). He had moved petition for urgent hearing of his release order as he is involved in a case of charges of corruption, corrupt practices and abuse of authority for illegally appointing 940 employees in KPT.
On July 23, 2018 a two-member bench headed by Justice Khalid Hussain heard the matter.
During the hearing, Rashid A Rizvi advocate argued on behalf of Muhammad Javad Hanif, that his client is contesting general election and due the arrest, he was being deprived of free and fair election campaign, therefore, court may release his immediately. However, court declared that court will take up this matter after filing reply of NAB officials, court adjourned the matter for July 27, 2018 and directed NAB officials to file comments on next date of hearing.
It needs to be mentioned here that Muhammad Javed Hanif, former Chairman Karachi Port Trust (KPT) is confined in Central Jail Karachi on judicial remand. Court fixed application for hearing for July 23, 2018.
According to the NAB officials, Javed Hanif is involved in charges of corruption, corrupt practices and abuse of authority for illegally appointing 940 employees in KPT in connivance with (the MQM’s) Babar Ghauri, the then minister for ports and shipping. He further argued that the appointments were made in violation of KPT law, rules and regulations “without advertisement of vacancies, competitive process, age criteria, medical examination of appointees and in violation of basic formalities”.
A large number of those appointed had a criminal record in serious cases such as “terrorism, premeditated murder and robbery” and that the illegal appointments resulted in losses to the national exchequer to the tune of Rs2.8 billion, NAB said.
