Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Land mafia has started hurling life threats on Accounts Officer (AO) of Capital Development Authority (CDA) for identifying payments of billion of rupees made to fake victims of two sectors in the federal capital.

The cashier who refused to make payments of Rs 30 million to fake affectees of land acquired for new jail in federal capital was got removed from his post by land mafia with implicating him in a corruption case and later the payments of million of rupees was made to bogus affectees.

The land mafia personnel stormed into office of the AO and threatened him to kill when he tried to make payment to only affectees of five kanal land in the light of Islamabad High Court (IHC) orders.

AO informed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as well as CDA chairman in this regard in writing. FIA sources told Daily Times that stunning revelations have come to light during the inquiry held with reference to payments made to fake affectees.

The letter sent by CDA’s honest accounts officer to FIA said that a property dealer Syed Mohsin Shah and his associates have held land department hostage and the hooligans enter into office forcibly during office hours and hurl life threats for forcing him to make payment to fake affectees.

FIA sources said that the AO has told that IHC has ordered for paying compensation to affectees of 5 kanal land in sector I17 and H16 but land mafia in connivance with Charagh Din who is a clerk of land directorate got issued cheques of Rs 90 million by splitting 200 kanal land into pieces of five kanal each. These cheques were not encashed due to non-availability of amount in CDA account.

Cashier Zulfiqar told Daily Times that he was removed from his seat after false case got registered against him. Mazhar Taliban group had threatened him of dire consequences after the payment of Rs 30 million to the fake affectees was pinpointed. False case of corruption was registered against him in conspiracy with certain black sheeps of FIA.

He further told Daily Times that land mafia does not allow the entry to be made in the original register in respect of payments which are made to fake affectees. Bogus thumb impressions were also made.

According to CDA record, under 2009 award payments worth of Rs 3.75 billions have been made so far and 50 percent payments have been made to fake affectees. Eight billion rupees have yet to be paid to affectees. CDA has turned into mine of gold for land mafia in terms of bogus payments for want of check and balance system.

FIA sources further said former officers of CDA in the scam of fake payments have played that major role. The incumbent Deputy DG Land Islam Shah was called to record his statement.

FIA has launched investigations at large scale in the matter of fake payments but no step has been taken for safety and security of honest officers of CDA who could be helpful in arresting land mafia.

CDA sources said that land mafia had remained involved in making bogus payments of million of rupees to fake affectees in the past in connivance with certain corrupt officers and it is not ready to tolerate any hindrance on their way to corruption. Therefore, certain officers of CDA who had minted money in the past in collusion with this land mafia are now conspiring to remove honest officers from their seats.

In the prevailing situation, no officer is prepared to work as AO in land department of CDA and most of the officers have refused in writing to perform duty as accounts officer.

When contacted CDA spokesman Ramzan Sajid told daily Times that authority is fully alive to the situation. Effective steps
will be taken in the light of the letter written by AO. Whatever loopholes are found in the payments will be removed.