Singaporean company dismisses allegations

KARACHI: Dr Nasim Shahzad, a Singaporean of Pakistani origin, and owner of Singapore-based Company Mienhardt, which is developing the Creek Marina residential project on the coastal strip of Karachi, has spoken out for the first time against allegations against him and his company.

The recipient of Tamgha-e-Imtiaz and Hilal-e-Pakistan from the Government of Pakistan has declared the case against him as baseless, the allegations as lies and an attempt by his ex-partner to hijack the entire project. He said illegitimate influence is being misused for the purpose. Dr Nasim said his ex-partner had started a false and baseless media campaign against him.

Talking to The News, Dr Nasim Shahzad said he had been falsely accused of receiving Rs29 billion from the public for 250 flats and illegally transferring the money out of Pakistan. He said a foreign audit company had prepared a report on the whole matter and there was a record of the banks according to which only Rs3.8 billion have been received from the public in the Creek Marina project. The company had spent more than Rs9 billion on the project so far, which is not being mentioned anywhere in the whole matter.

Dr Nasim said to date no media has shown the 32-story 3 towers that they had prepared, in which there are not 250 but more than 300 flats in ready condition. He offered that if they were allowed to work, they could complete the project in a few months and hand it over to the buyers. In response to a question, Nasim Shahzad said that for the last several years, the institution has not been allowing them to work because of the former partner of their company.

Three years ago, an inquiry was started against him in NAB, and after the entire inquiry, NAB dismissed him, gave a clean chit but also gave a special shield on their transparent procedure. However, their adversary ex-partner filed a false case in the FIA on the same allegations. Rs3 billion in receipts were inaccurately reported as Rs29 billion. Their key employees were arrested by the FIA and a false media campaign was launched to tarnish their international reputation. Dr. Nasim said despite being a citizen of Singapore, he loves Pakistan. He said “our company is completing the highest quality projects in 55 countries of the world, the most important construction projects are being given to our company in Dubai, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and India. Why will we leave such an important project unfinished in Pakistan?” Dr Nasim said adding why they would delay the project after investing Rs6 billion in the company?

“The real fight is not about the 250 flats that are already ready, the real fight is to grab this project from me, to take over the company's land, but this project is my dream,” he added.

Dr Nasim demanded the prime minister of Pakistan, army chief, and chief justice of Pakistan to take immediate notice of the abuse done to him. He said in that case, NAB and FBR not only cleared him but gave letters of appreciation to his company. However, the FIA registered a false FIR in the same case and arrested all company employees and they were being pressured to take false statements from them. “Therefore, I appeal to Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa to do justice and conduct an impartial inquiry into the matter and grant us the permission to complete the project.”