Unlike the past, it is being considered that today judiciary
in Pakistan is independent and very powerful institution. Judiciary has taken
many historic Judgments like convicting former Prime Ministers and charging
Former Dictator. After all that hard accountability still there are few
examples of corruption and wrong doings that a common man would bite his finger
that how it happened.
It would be surprising for the readers that a person was
convicted 14 years in prison on corruption cases, but he has become senator in
the Senate of Pakistan. In 2000, Former Federal Communication Ministers Azam
Khan Hoti was convicted by an accountability court Attock on charges of
accumulating assets disproportionate to his known sources of income and
sentenced him to 10-year rigorous imprisonment. He was also fined Rs 15 million,
failing which he would have to undergo further 2 years in prison. Judge
Chaudhry Mazhar Minhas ordered the confiscation of Azam Hoti’s property in
Lahore which includes a commercial plot in Chuburji, 6 shops in Lehri, a shop
in Model Town, his share in a flat in Model Town, two cars and Rs 7.7 million
invested in Super Engineers (Pvt) Limited. The former minister was also
disqualified from holding public office or applying for any financial loan and
advances from any financial institutions sponsored by the government. Azam Hoti
was also tried by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for two cases of
corruption and misuse of authority. The accountability court has already
sentenced him to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment in cases of corruption and
corrupt practices in the Motorway reference and for awarding contracts for the
installation of emergency telephone systems without fulfilling the normal
procedures.
This scribe came to know about all this when wife of Azam
Hoti, Shamim Kiyani filed a writ petition in the Islamabad high Court against
Azam Hoti. She submitted file copy of the court vide order dated
27-9-2010, in which accountability bench of Lahore High Court dismissed
the appeal of the Azam Hoti. She said that no court of country has
suspended the order of the High Court of Lahore and he is convicted of the law
and fugitive from law. She said more thee NAB KPK has the attested copy for the
court action but they also allowed a convict and fugitive to set in the senate
of Pakistan.
She nominated Election Commission of Pakistan, Senate of
Pakistan and Chairman National Accountability Bureau Islamabad. In reply to
Court ECP made it clear that ECP was not aware that Azam Hoti was convicted by
NAB. Court also has directed to NAB to appear before the court with the relevant
record. It is pertinent to mention here that former Chief Minister of KPK Amir
Haider Hoti is son of Azam Hoti and he played a vital role to make his father
Senator from Awami National Party. While talking to this scribe Shamim Kiyani
appealed to the Chief Justice of Supreme Court Pakistan to take sou motu action
on this serious matter.
