NAB Moves IHC to Vacate Stay on Bahria Town Property Auction

APP

Islamabad: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking to vacate a stay order that halted the auction of Bahria Town properties, originally scheduled for August 7.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif heard NAB’s miscellaneous petition on Monday. During the proceedings, NAB Prosecutor Rafi Maqsood informed the court that the accused in the case had entered into a plea bargain but failed to make the required payments. As a result, NAB initiated steps to identify and auction off the accused’s properties.

According to the prosecutor, NAB had issued notices to obtain details of the properties, which were challenged in the trial court. After the trial court dismissed the challenge, the matter was taken to the IHC, which granted a stay on the auction process.

Chief Justice Dogar noted that a similar petition had also been filed in the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court. However, the Rawalpindi Bench had directed the petitioners to approach the auction committee instead. Attempts to invoke the IHC’s stay order before the Rawalpindi Bench were also rejected, the NAB prosecutor added.

The IHC bench issued notices to the respondents, seeking their stance on the matter, and fixed August 4 for the next hearing—prior to the scheduled auction date. The Chief Justice warned that if the respondents fail to appear, the court will proceed in accordance with the law.

The hearing was adjourned until August 4.