Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman acquitted in 36 Years old property case

An accountability court in the Punjab capital on Monday acquitted Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman, editor-in-chief of Jang Geo Media Group, in a 34-year-old land case.

Accountability court judge Asad Ali also acquitted all the accused named in the case and remarked that no charges had been proved against them.

In a 20-page judgment, the court directed the concerned authorities to relinquish all the confiscated properties of Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman.

“There is no evidence on record that Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman facilitated the crime. Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman and co-accused Humayun Faiz and Mian Bashir have been acquitted,” the verdict said.

It said co-accused Humayun Faiz and Bashir Ahmed had not been charged with fraud. The decision said that sending the summary to DG LDA could not be considered as evidence of fraud against Humayun Faiz and Bashir Ahmed.

During the last hearing, Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman’s lawyer Amjad Pervez had filed a petition in the court under Section 265-K for his client’s acquittal.

He asked the court to declare his client innocent as there was nothing in the evidence against him.

In November 2020, the Supreme Court granted bail to Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman in a property case.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested the owner of Jang on March 12, 2020 in connection with the alleged illegal exemption of 54 plots in H-Block, Johar Town Phase II, Lahore, which was granted by the General Power of Attorney. Allotted because of pregnancy. Hidayat Ali and Hikmat Ali were violated by the then Punjab Chief Minister Nawaz Sharif

Rehman’s lawyer also said that NAB chairman Javed (retd) Justice Javed Iqbal had not issued arrest warrants for the director land department and DG LDA.

The Supreme Court granted Shakeel’s request to submit bail bonds of Rs 100 million.

The Lahore High Court had earlier rejected Rehman’s bail, after which he appealed against the decision to the high court.