960412

Anti-corruption

dept restrained

from harassing

stamp vendor

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum of the Lahore High Court has restrained the provincial anti-corruption department to harass or arrest a local stamp vendor Abdul Majeed, and had called parawise report and comments from the department.

The petition was moved on the point whether or not the provincial Anti-corruption Department can investigate against a private person.

The counsel for the petitioner, Khawaja Saeed-uz-Zafar submitted that the Abdul Majeed, a Gujranwala-based stamp vendor, had sold two stamp papers of Rs 5 each to two local parties for the transfer of a property. Later, both the parties after a dispute started litigation against each other in the court.

One of the party also nominated the petitioner as respondent in the case. The petitioner was summoned by the Court where he appeared and recorded his statement.

The same party also filed a number of applications with the provincial Anti-corruption Department in which different allegations of corruptions had been levelled against the petitioner. The Department in these applications initiated investigations against the petitioner. The counsel for the petitioner submitted that provincial Anti-corruption Department deemed to investigate and ascertain the matters relating to the corruption in the officials department.

It was prayed that Anti-corruption Department may be restrained from harassing or arresting the petitioner till the disposal of the case in the Civil court.