KARACHI: A special anti-corruption court on Thursday convicted three accused, including a woman, after they were found guilty of trying to get illegally transferred properties of Tariq Islam — a cousin of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto — located in Clifton, Karachi, on forged documents.

The special anti-corruption court-I judge pronounced the recently reserved judgement in the case against Nasreen Begum, Abdul Aziz Rahim Kassamali and Sheikh Majid Javed after recording evidence and hearing final arguments by the prosecution and defence.

The judge noted that the prosecution had proved the charge against the accused persons beyond any reasonable shadow of doubt.

The judge sentenced Aziz Kassamali to three years imprisonment and imposed on him a fine of Rs1,500. In case of default on fine payment, he would have to undergo an additional three months imprisonment.

Nasreen Begum was sentenced to four years imprisonment with a fine of Rs2,000 and she would have to undergo an additional four months imprisonment in case of default on fine. The judge cancelled her bail and remanded her to the women prison to serve out her jail term.

Sheikh Majid Javed was sentenced to 42 months imprisonment with a fine of Rs1,500. In case of default on fine payment, he would have to undergo an additional three months imprisonment.

The judgement said that all the sentences would run concurrently.

While Nasreen Begum, who was present in court, was sent to jail, the court issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of Aziz Kassamali and Sheikh Javed. Both are said to be union council secretaries when the offence was committed.

The court acquitted two other co-accused, Ghulam Farooq Channa and Syed Sadaf Amjad, for want of evidence.

Legal proceedings against absconding accused Nida Zehra (said to be a Nadra employee) and Feroz were kept dormant till their arrest or surrender.

According to the prosecution, complainant Tariq Islam lodged a complaint with the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle of the Federal Investigation Agency on Aug 28, 2019 stating it had been brought to his knowledge that the nominated accused had been trying to transfer his ancestral property in their own names by fraudulently tampering with the records and obtaining CNICs through falsified documents and statements.

As per court documents, one of the witnesses, then an employee of Nadra, testified that one of the key documents in the case was attested by SSP M. Farooq Awan.

The complainant alleged that on the basis of the falsified identities and tampered records, the accused filed a suit in the Sindh High Court against him and his parents in respect of the properties (Nos. 108 and 109), located in Clifton.

The complainant said that the accused had become plaintiffs in the suit by trying to establish a relationship with his family.

The case was registered under sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and 109 (abetment) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act-II, 1947 at the FIA Anti-Human Trafficking Circle.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2021