- Court was hearing a post-arrest bail petition.
- Prosecutor appeared and sought an adjournment.
- Counsel for petitioner opposed the adjournment request
LAHORE: An anti-corruption court on Monday directed the prosecution to produce the record of a case of alleged land fraud against PML-N MNA Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf.
The court was hearing a post-arrest bail petition of the MNA in the case lodged by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) against him.
A prosecutor appeared before the court and sought an adjournment saying the senior special prosecutor of the ACE would personally present the record and advance arguments in the case.
A counsel for the petitioner/ suspect opposed the adjournment saying the prosecution was trying to delay the proceedings.
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The court, however, adjourned the hearing till Jan 4 and directed the prosecution to present a complete record of the case.
The ACE alleged that Ashraf grabbed over 157 acres of state land by forgery and fraud in connivance with Patwari Muhammad Saleem and Gardawar Riast Ali.
It further alleged that Ashraf grabbed the state land by showing Sharif Ahmed Hashmi as a fake allottee of the state land. The MNA was arrested in Sahiwal and later shifted to Lahore.
On December 27, Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) had arrested Muhammad Ashraf for illegally occupying state land.
In a statement, the ACE had said that Ashraf, the PML-N lawmaker elected from NA-148 Sahiwal, was accused of illegally taking possession of 157 acres of land.
The anti-corruption watchdog had said Ashraf had allegedly occupied state-owned land by forging land documents and records in connivance with the revenue officer (Patwari) Muhammad Saleem and clerk Riyasat Ali.
A case had been registered against the lawmaker. The lawmaker had been arrested after confirmation of the charge after he issued a fake allotment issued to Sharif Ahmed Hashmi.
