An additional district and sessions judge has directed the Nishtar Colony SHO to record a petitioner’s claim that he was duped by three conmen while seeking to bribe his way into a place on the Benazir Income Support Programme.
Muhammad Ayub told the court that he met Fiaz, Mansha and Akbar around a month ago and they told him they would be able to get him registered with the programme, which is meant to provide stipends to poor families.
Ayub said that the three men got false documents prepared in his name, also getting him to put his thumb print on some blank documents.
They then told him that he should buy a fridge, which they would give to a senior official attached with the Benazir Income Support Programme. In return, he would get a cheque for millions of rupees.
The petitioner submitted that he bought a fridge on instalments and gave it to the three men, who subsequently disappeared. He contacted them, but they kept making excuses as to why he had still not received his money.
Meanwhile, he said, he was stuck with paying instalments for the fridge.
He said that he approached the Nishtar Colony SHO for the registration of a case, but the officer refused. He asked the court to direct the SHO to register a case against the three men for fraud.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2013.