In the latest development in the M6 motorway land scam case, the Sindh government has decided to seek the release of a red warrant for the former Naushahro Feroze deputy commissioner, provincial government's spokesperson Murtaza Wahab said Monday.
The former Naushahro Feroze DC and other officials are facing charges of billions of rupees of graft in acquiring land for the Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway project. He was reportedly suspended from his post on November 22, three days after he fled the country.
Wahab, who is also the Karachi administrator, said in a press conference that the government will approach the Centre for International Criminal Police Organisation's (Interpol) red warrant.
He said an inquiry report of Naushahro Feroze was received three days ago, which identified “glaring irregularities”.
As soon as the irregularities were revealed, the government issued an order to freeze the funds reserved for the motorway in six districts Matiari, Khairpur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Naushahro Feroze, Sukkur and Hyderabad, so that no payments could be made to cause further loss to the exchequer, Wahab said
The spokesperson further stated that a case against the land scam was registered by the anti-corruption department and the suspended DC was nominated in the FIR based on a comprehensive fact-finding report.
He said that the provincial government is in continuous contact with the National Highway Authority (NHA), the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
NAB Sukkur held a probe when the matter surfaced, following which the matter extended to all six districts. He said that NAB had sought records from the former Naushahro Feroze DC, revenue department officials and Nawab Shah authorities.
Moreover, NAB also wrote to the Sukkur division commissioner over it.