The Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani on Tuesday remarked that just as the population has increased, the NCCIA will also have to increase the number of its prosecutors.
During the hearing on the issue of adjournment of cases due to unavailability of NCCIA prosecutors in the Islamabad High Court, Additional DG NCCIA Arif Shahbaz appeared before the court of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani.
The court asked the Additional DG how many prosecutors do you have. To which the officials replied that we have 9 people, there is only one post in Islamabad, while 200 cases are being registered in the federal capital every month.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani said that there will be 15,000 cases in all the courts, there are witnesses in the trial court, there is a lawyer, but your prosecutor is not present, due to which the trial is not progressing. Due to the absence of the prosecutor, statements are not being written in the trial court. Just as the population has increased, you will also have to increase the number of prosecutors.
NCCIA officials said that we are increasing this number and are also taking them on deputation. NCCIA officials told the court that we have registered a total of 367 blasphemy cases.
Hearing on Islamabad LG polls pleas adjourned without proceedings
The hearing on petitions challenging the presidential ordinance and delay in Islamabad’s local government elections was adjourned on Tuesday without any proceedings.
According to details, the hearing could not take place due to the unavailability of Islamabad High Court Justice Azam Khan. As a result, the cause list of his court was cancelled, and the petitions were deferred without substantive action.
Petitions related to the local government elections have been filed by Jamaat-e-Islami and the Markazi Muslim League. Earlier, the Islamabad High Court had issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan and other respondents, seeking their replies.
The court had also clubbed the petition filed by the Markazi Muslim League with the Jamaat-e-Islami case for joint hearing. The next date of hearing will be fixed by the registrar’s office, according to court officials.
NAB recovers Rs 4.05bn as plea bargain in Kohistan scandal
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recovered a staggering sum of Rs 4.05 billion, marking the largest lump-sum cash recovery in the institution’s history.
According to NAB, the funds were clawed back from the shadowy depths of the “Kohistan Mega Scam,” exposing a brazen conspiracy where the treasury itself was bled dry. The case centers on the mastermind, accused Qaisar Iqbal allegedly used a dumper driver, Mumtaz Khan, as his front man. This unlikely benamidar became the face of a sophisticated fraud, opening bank accounts for the fictitious “Mumtaz Construction Company.” Through this hollow shell, millions flowed directly from the public treasury, funneling the nation’s wealth into private pockets.
Facing the weight of evidence, the front man, Mumtaz Khan, opted for a plea bargain, surrendering the amount in a mix of cash, properties, and vehicles. The accountability court has confirmed this agreement, securing not just the colossal recovery but also the first conviction in this sprawling scam. NAB has not only retrieved a historic sum but has also pierced the complex layers of benami transactions and shell companies that shield corruption.