According to a report submitted by the Pakistan Rangers in May, the Sindh government allegedly handed out 44,000 acres of government land that was located near the Sindh Super Highway to Bahria Town, the largest real estate development company in Pakistan. The Bahria Town management and Malik Riaz have vehemently denied these allegations, claiming that Bahria Town only owns 7,631 acres in Karachi, which were privately owned plots and not government land. As yet, there has been no response from the Sindh government or Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) officials about this issue. It is not yet certain whether these allegations are true and it is also not clear how the Rangers obtained this evidence. The Rangers’ claims should be investigated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). A case of this magnitude cannot be ignored by the federal government.
If these allegations prove to be true, it would mean that the authorities have done a very poor job of monitoring and policing business in Pakistan and that the criminal activities of business owners go unnoticed and unchecked. If it is further proved that elected officials in Sindh have been colluding with the Bahria Town Foundation to help Malik Riaz acquire land illegally, or worse, allocated state land to Bahria Town, it would completely discredit both the Sindh government and the PPP. So far, the Rangers’ operation, which has been targeting organised crime in Sindh and particularly in Karachi, seems to be a sweeping effort that does not go easy on any of Sindh’s political parties (such as the MQM or PPP) or powerful businessmen. However, investigating the illegal businesses of entrepreneurs and the corruption of government officials does not fall in the jurisdiction of the paramilitary. Therefore, the federal government should set up investigation committees to gather evidence and involve NAB, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other related state institutions. If the Rangers’ report is substantiated, the case should be brought before the courts. Cases of this magnitude, involving major political parties and provincial governments, should not be investigated and adjudicated by the military. However, if there are corrupt politicians in the country who are in league with organised criminals and corrupt businessmen, they should be properly investigated and held accountable if found guilty. The parliamentary and legal systems should have inherent checks and balances to preserve Pakistan’s hard won democracy for the long term. *