The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday stopped Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab from harassing former interior minister and Pakistan Awami Muslim league Chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmad in a land sale case. Justice Farooq Haider passed the orders while hearing a petition filed by Sheikh Rashid Ahmad challenging summons by ACE Punjab in land sale inquiry. During the proceedings, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad submitted that he contracted the sale deed of the land, measuring 149 kanals, situated in district Attock, for Rs 670 million, with a private housing society ‘Royal Residencia Pvt. Limited’.
Sheikh Rashid submitted that he received Rs 100 million in advance. He submitted that the process for sale of land had not been completed yet. He submitted that the land was in his possession and its 80 per cent sale amount was yet to be received from the purchaser. The owner of Royal Residencia was not paying the outstanding amount, he added. He submitted that the land had been declared in income tax return and he did not violate any law by selling the land. Subsequently, the court stopped ACE from harassing Sheikh Rashid and summoned the investigation officer along with the record on the next date of hearing on July 27.
It is pertinent to mention here that the matter was fixed as an objection case after the LHC office put an objection on it. However, the court remarked that the objection would be reviewed on the judicial side. ACE had summoned Sheikh Rashid for July 15 over alleged embezzlement of government fee in land sale matter.
