KARACHI: As the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) continues its investigation into illegal allotment of more than 11,000 acres of land to the Bahria Town group, it has unearthed evidence of irregularities on a large scale.
The land was allotted on the directive of Sharjeel Memon, when he was minister of Local Government Department, Sindh in 2012-13 and the Malir Development Authority (MDA) chairman, NAB officials said.
The Sindh Land Utilisation Department, after confirming the land status for allotment, asked the MDA to consolidate lands and hand them over to the Bahria group.
NAB has also gathered information from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) about the construction in various parts of city by Bahria Town. It found out that the SBCA official were hesitant to show up before combined investigation team of NAB. The documents relating to the matter also did not match the statements of SBCA’s officials.
NAB officials said that during audit and inspection of Office of Director General of SBCA, it had been learned that the office issued a no objection certificate in March 20, 2014 for sale and advertisement of open plots at land 1,330 acres of 1540-18-110 acres survey of land in Sector 117 of MDA Master Programme (SHC-I Phase-I), Malir Karachi. It had been granted to Zain Malik (attorney and authorised director of Bahria Town (Pvt) Ltd). Moreover, it has been observed that as a contractor, he was engaged in huge constructions, sale and booking of large number of residential/commercial plots, houses, flats, shops, hotels and restaurants, farm houses, Bahria Golf City, parks, schools, hospital, in violation of KPTR SBCA rules.
Thereafter, the SBCA management failed to take any legal action against the contractor concerned on account of illegal construction, sale and booking of residential and commercial properties in violation of NOC issued to contractor, which constituted weak administrative system.
NAB also informed that SBCA officials had not recorded their statements on the given date despite call-up notices.
On the other hand, officials of NAB Karachi, on September 13, 2017, had submitted call-up letter for further proceeding against officials of SBCA. They warned the SBCA DG and others that they would have to face penal consequences as provided under NAB law if they failed to comply with the notice.
It is possible that a final notice in this regard is served to SBCA within a week. NAB will also move court for the arrest of involved officials.
In August 2017, NAB officials started probing allegations that Bahria Town Karachi had extended its development work on thousands of acres of land, contrary to SBCA approval and NOC for development on an area up to 1,330 acres of land only.
In this regard, Coordination deputy director Syeda Rumla Naqvi had issued a call-up notice to officials of SBCA under Section 19 of NAB Ordinance, 1999, regarding investigation against officers/officials of Revenue Department, Malir Development Authority, government of Sindh, and others and asked to depute officers to appear before CIT along with justification of SBCA in writing for not taking any action against Bahria Town Karachi regarding violations of mandatory provisions of SBCA Ordinance, 1979 by them and measures for informing general public to safeguard their investment in said project by directing Bahria Town to stop all illegal sale, booking and advertisement activities at once.
The SBCA office letter 765 had originally stated that it had given approval and NOC to Bahria Town Project situated on main Super Highway for advertisement/development on area up to 1,330 acres only, whereas the rest of development on thousands of acres, including constant media publicity/advertisement, were against SBCA Ordinance, 1979.
Published in Daily Times, October 31st 2017.