Daily Times

KARACHI: Joint Investigation Team (JIT), constituted on directive of Supreme Court for probing into bank fraud accounts has revealed that nearly Rs 84 billion of money laundering were used for buying 46 real estate units in and around Bilawal House Karachi during period of 2008 to 2014.

During a marathon investigation process, JIT unearthing ill-gotten money through bank fraud accounts claimed that Icon Tower in Clifton had also been built on 7,891 square yards of land occupied by former president Asif Ali Zardari through his front man, identified as Dinshaw.

The beneficiary is Bahria Town group as group has 9,346 square yards of land for this project. But after illegally occupying amenity plots and other private lands, built area of Icon Tower became to 17,237 square yards.

It was revealed that officials of Sindh Building Control Authority, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Board of Revenue Sindh and Karachi Development Authority were involved in this scam of land.

It is pertinent to mention here that Landmark Private Limited, a real estate company, National Gases Private Limited and Zardari Group Private Limited companies were directly involved in money laundering and using this money for dealing in real estates.

Different government officials have claimed that team has already collected evidences during its investigation and interrogation while also recorded statements of Asif Ali Zardari, Faryal Talpur, sister of Zardari and with attorney of Bilawal Bhutto.

Board of Revenue member, Subhan Memon, Najamuz Zaman of KDA, Roshan Ali Sheikh and others of KMC and Agha Massood and others of SBCA have also been contacted and interrogated in this connection, JIT team members said.

There is a great possibility that after consolidation of relevant records, JIT would submit its report probably within fortnight to SC, members of JIT team informed. Officer observed that prime aim of purchasing bungalows and residential units in and around Bilawal House was to build multi storey luxury flats by Zardari Group.

In the meantime, inquiry was initiated by JIT on SC directives thus the Group deferred its plan. Officials of SBCA and other civic body entities on condition of anonymity informed that no any formula or rule exits to convert residential units or to bring amalgamation for changing status of units in said area.

Meanwhile, group with connivance civic bodies tried to grab land patches and plots nearby Bahria Icon Tower, Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mazar, parking lot meant for amenity land and encroachment on amenity spaces besides including areas near to Jehangir Kothari Parade, declared as protected heritage under Heritage Protection Act 1994, they maintained. JIT practice of inquiry was initiated on receipt of suspicious transaction reports (STRs) from Financial Monitoring Units (FMU) of State Bank of Pakistan. The investigation team headed by Dr Najaf Quli Mirza, Additional Director General FIA is busy to bring logical end of the investigations, they added. Unauthorized construction activity will also increase substantial load on infrastructure and utilities such as electricity, water, sewerage, garbage disposal, traffic management, increased requirement of schools, parks, hospitals and other amenities.