Lahore: LHC tells FIA to evolve system to compensate ZARCO scam victims

[Naveed Yaseen]

* ZARCO chief’s counsel says payments in two months if company’s server returned
* Bench constitutes medical board to examine Lakht-e-Hussain’s health

Staff Report

LAHORE: A division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general (DG) to evolve a mechanism to ensure payment to the victims of the ZARCO Exchange Company.

The bench, consisting of Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif and Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry, ordered the DG to submit a report by September 1 about how to return the money to all victims.

Return server: Barrister Ali Zafar, counsel of the main accused Lakht-e-Hussain, informed the bench that the payment could be made to the affected people within two months if the main server of the company was given back, as it was in FIA’s custody.

The DG opposed this proposal, saying it was the responsibility of the state to ensure payment to the victims. He said he would present a mechanism in this regard.

Medical board: The bench also constituted a medical board to examine Hussain who was admitted to a hospital to ensure whether he was genuinely ill or just pretending to avoid jail. The bench directed the medical board to submit its report by Tuesday (today).

Hussain was admitted to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology after complaints of a heart problem.

Earlier, the CJ had taken suo motu notice of the scam on various applications filed by the victims.

Bashir Ahmad complained that he sent $3,000 (Rs 2,48,100) to his son in France, but the money had never been paid to him.

Umar Usman lost Rs 530,000; Awais Ali Rs 300,000; Usman Arshad, Rs 4,200,000; Dr Karam Elahi Durrani Rs 478,664; Khawaja Muhammad Iqbal Rs 700,000; Chaudhry Umar Hayat Rs 96,340; Zubair Ijaz Rs 1,362,395; Muhammad Shakeel Rs 676,000; Dr Asif Masood Rana Rs 702,525; Imran Ali Rs 578,920; Muhammad Jamil Raza Rs 1,170,000; and Naeem Ashraf Rs 169,977.