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Published 16 Nov, 2021 11:27am

SC summons ETPB chairperson to submit details of sale of Hindu properties

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) chairperson to appear before the court on Tuesday (today) and submit details of alleged sale of Hindu properties.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed heard the suo moto case of desecration of Karak temple.

The apex court inquired the lawyer representing ETPB in which capacity the board had sold the properties of the minorities' community worth millions of rupees as they were against the law.

The lawyer accepted the properties had been sold to which the CJP remarked that the board failed to fulfill its responsibility and the purpose to establish the board has also failed.

The court expressed its ire over the absence of board's chairperson who was in Lahore. On the request of the ETPB 's lawyer, the chief justice issued a one day time period to the chairperson to appear before the court.

During the hearing of the case, Justice Gulzar also asked Federal Investigation Agency director general to appear before the court and rejected to delay the case.

Related to the hearing of Karak temple case, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa advocate general briefed the court the reconstruction of the temple had been completed and the recoveries were being made from the accused who were involved in the incident.

On the inquiry of the court, the AG told the chief justice the K-P government had submitted the amount of recoveries in the national exchequer.

The court also directed the government to provide facilities of water, proper sewerage system and cleanliness to the household near the Karak temple.

In December last year, a mob vandalised the Samadhi (shrine) of a Hindu saint and subsequently set it on fire in K-P's Karak district's Teri village. In its order in October, the apex court issued directives to the provincial government to collect Rs33 million from culprits involved in vandalising and torching of a century-old shrine.

The chief justice also inquired DG FIA over the sale of properties related to Hindu and Sikh communities which were in posession of the ETPB.

The court adjourned the case till Tuesday (today).

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