Share this story!            

Bank president to be responsible for harassment of customers

Staff Report

KARACHI: Deciding a number of identical constitutional petitions filed by citizens who had obtained loans or availed credit card facilities and later defaulted, Justice Mrs Qaiser Iqbal and Justice Syed Mehmood Alam Rizvi of the Sindh High Court (SHC) directed commercial banks not to raid the offices or residences of the petitioners, stating that, in such cases, the president of the concerned bank would be held responsible.

The petitions were filed against almost all commercial banks of the city, the Airport Police Station SHO, Malir Police Station SHO and others.

Appearing in the main petition, Advocate Gohar Iqbal submitted that his client was an employee of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), had availed credit card facilities and was later unable to pay off his debt.

Although the petitioner had stopped using the facility, he made regular payments until it became impossible for him to pay. Once he stopped paying, the bank’s recovery officers started harassing him and his family members, regularly visiting his residence and badmouthing the family.

The bench stated that an elaborate mechanism exists for recovery of debts and a recourse to legal pleadings is available.

The bench directed banks’ heads to put a stop to the harassment at once.

Petition against KESC: SHC Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Justice Ghulam Dastgir Shahani adjourned the hearing of a constitutional petition against the KESC for unannounced load shedding and increased tariff for a week, on the request of the counsel for the petitioner, Syed Iqbal Kazmi.

Notices in Tessori case: SHC Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Justice Ghulam Dastgir Shahani issued notices for November 14 to the Sindh Home Secretary, Kemari TPO and the Karachi Central Jail Superintendent in a case challenging the alleged fake cases against Kamran Tessori of the Tessori Gold Company.

The petition was filed by Mrs Kausar Jabeen, mother of Kamran Tessori, who maintains that the Tessoris have an old and complicated dispute with Hanif Merchant, another local businessman and a former business partner of the family.

AAG assures arrest of dishonest builder: Appearing for the state in a constitutional petition challenging illegal construction, filed by a local NGO, the Sindh Additional Advocate General (AAG) assured Justice Azizullah M Memon and Justice Pir Ali Shah of the SHC that the builder who cheated innocent and poor citizens will be arrested and the amount fleeced will be recovered.

AAG Sarwar Khan candidly admitted that the building was allowed to be completed in connivance with the Karachi Building Control Authority and the innocent citizens, unaware of the illegality of the structure, were made to purchase the flats.

Home | Karachi

Share this story!