Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Petroleum has extended a generous hand to a person accused in a Rs 570 million OGDCL housing society fraud by appointing him the General Manger (GM) Stores in OGDCL. Irfan Babar, son in law of former National Assembly (NA) speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain, said to be involved in a Rs 570 million fraud in the name of OGDCL housing society, has been again appointed at GM Stores in OGDCL on a political basis by Managing Director (MD) Oil and Gas Development Authority (OGDA) under the directive of the petroleum secretary Arshad Mirza and minister for petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

Irfan Babar was suspended under the orders of the National Assembly standing committee on petroleum. However, the Ministry of Petroleum has again appointed him General Manager after two months of his suspension. He was charged with committing a fraud of billions of rupees in the name of the OGDCL Housing Society. He allegedly made false promises to allot plots to them in the suburbs of the federal capital.

An inquiry is already underway with the FIA against Irfan Babar and several cases of fraud have been registered against him. He is son in law of Chaudhry Amir Hussain, former speaker NA and he has been enjoying undue benefits due to his relationship with the former NA speaker.

Chaudhry Amir Hussain, then speaker of NA, had inaugurated the OGDCL housing society during the Pervez Musharraf regime. This housing society was carved out by occupying land of the Punjab forest department illegally. The second part of this scam involved a patwari who had fled to Dubai after plundering millions of rupees from people. FIA failed to arrest him due to his rapport with influential persons.

When the scam of OGDCL housing society echoed in the meeting of the standing committee on petroleum, the members of the committee ordered the suspension of those found responsible in the fraud. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi issued orders for his immediate suspension. But these all orders apparently fell flat.

When contacted by Daily Times, Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi did not bother to reply, seemingly treating the Rs 570 million fraud an insignificant matter. The incumbent interior minister has close relations with former NA speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain and they have remained close associates in the past.