Lahore: An anti-corruption court on Thursday adjourned until October 1 further proceedings in a corruption reference against former Punjab Assembly speaker Sabtain Khan and others regarding alleged irregularities in the award of Mines and Minerals contract.
Anti-Corruption Court Judge Muhammad Jameel conducted the proceedings, during which Sabtain Khan and other accused appeared before the court.
The court sought arguments on the acquittal application filed by co-accused Salman Ghani, a former chairman of the Planning and Development Department, and directed the Anti-Corruption Establishment to submit a report at the next hearing.
The accused have been charged with allegedly awarding Mines and Minerals contract to their preferred individuals. The accused, however, maintained that the Anti-Corruption Establishment had investigated the matter before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and had declared them innocent.
Sabtain Khan has also challenged the jurisdiction of the Anti-Corruption Court, arguing that the reference was transferred directly from the NAB court following amendments to the accountability laws that curtailed the jurisdiction of the accountability court.
He contended that the Anti-Corruption Establishment should first conduct a fresh investigation and submit a challan before the case could proceed. He further argued that the court could not hear the matter without a fresh investigation.
Sabtain Khan has been accused of awarding Mines and Minerals contract to preferred individuals during his tenure as provincial minister for Mines and Minerals in PML-Q tenure.
The other accused include former Mines and Minerals secretary Imtiaz Ahmed Cheema, former Planning and Development Department chairman Salman Ghani and Chief Inspector of Mines Punjab Abdul Sattar.