NAB made ‘Mamoo’ by Sindh govt

ISLAMABAD: The Sindh government’s recent initiative of cancelling illegal/controversial allotments of state land has turned into a unique fraud as at least in one case the government has silently restored the allotment of land only weeks after its cancellation.
Fooling the NAB Sindh chapter, which is after the provincial government to get all such lands cancelled, the authorities first cancelled the allotment of land and formally informed NAB as well but later did not share the notification with the Bureau for the annulment of its earlier order.
In NAB’s record, the allotment remains cancelled whereas in reality 10-23 acres of state land in the heart of Karachi has been given back to the allottee.
Sources in the government reveal that the Secretary Land Utilisation Department has done this following pressure from the top. The land in question was allotted on a 99-year lease at the rate of just Rs 100 per square yard for both residential and commercial use.
Senior Member Board of Revenue Sindh when approached said that he has no knowledge of this development. He said that he did not even receive any notification in regard to the withdrawal of the cancellation order. He said he would get the matter probed and fix responsibility.
Documents available with The News reveal that on September 29, 2015 the Secretary Land Utilisation Department issued a notification for the cancellation of the allotment letter issued on May 25, 2012.
Besides others, the copy of the cancellation letter was also formally sent to the Additional Director (Staff), Director General NAB Karachi as well as the Investigation Officer NAB Karachi Zameer Ahmed Abbasi.
On October 7, 2015, another letter signed by the Secretary Land Utilisation Department Sindh was issued, which withdrew the cancellation letter dated September 29, 2015. From this notification, both the Additional Director (Staff), Director General NAB Karachi and the Investigation Officer NAB Karachi Mr Zameer Ahmed Abbasi were excluded from the list of those who were forwarded the copy of the notification for information and necessary action.
Interestingly in the cancellation letter, which was silently withdrawn later, the authorities had clearly mentioned the case did not have the approval of the chief minister Sindh owing to which the allotment was being cancelled.
On September 29, 2015, the Secretary Land Utilization Department issued to the Deputy Commissioner Malir a letter whose operative part read as:
“The Land admeasuring 06-00 acres from Sector-43A-A, Karachi had been leased out on 99 years in favour of Mr Hamid Alies Bisham S/o Kamil Khan at the rate of Rs 100/- per square yeard for Residential/Commercial purpose vide order No. PS/MBR/LU/177/95 dated 30.01.1995. The same land stands regularized under letter No. 01-176-02/DS-I(LU)/1884 dated 29.12.2005 in favour of original allottee through Mr. Asif Mehmood Malik S/o Malik Muhammad Sharif (Sub-Attorney).
“2. An area of 08-00 acres land from Scheme-33 Karachi in favour of Mr Shoukat Hussain S/o Muhammad Hussain at the rate of Rs 100/- per sq yd for Residential/Commercial purposes vide order No. PS/MBR/LU/1414/94 dated 20.09.1994. Out of 08-00 acres land an area of 05-15 acres stands regularized under letter No. 01-306-02/Ds-I(LU)/1885/2005, dated 29.12.2005 in favour of original allottee through Mr. Asif Mehmood Malik S/o Malik Muhammad Shafi (Sub-Attorney).
“3. From the land in question it appears that an area of 00-32 ghuntas falls in N.C. No. 21 of Deh Doozan & 10-23 acres fall in Deh Mehran i.e. 00-30 ghuntas from abandoned path, 04-06 acres in Nakabuli No. 260 of Deh Mehran, 00-24 ghuntas in N.K No. 513, 00-01 ghunta from N.K No. 472, 01-32 aceres in N.K No. 261 & 02-31 acres in N.K No 188 of Deh Mehran total areas 10-36 acres instead of 11-15 acres in their possession, because an area of 01-08 acres from N.K No. 463 in Deh Mehran is pending in the Honourable High Court of Sindh. The land admeasuring 10-23 acres of Deh Mehran Karachi stands regularized under letter No. 01-(176&306)-02/SO-I/90, dated 25.05.2012.
“4. The land was originally allotted in Deh Doozan which was regularized in the same Deh, subsequently the land was regularized on the recommendation of the Survey Superintendent in Deh Mehran Karachi. The Deh was changed without the approval of the competent authority i.e. Chief Minister Sindh.
“5. The letter No. -(176&306)-02/SO-I/90, dated 25.05.2012 is hereby withdrawn/cancelled.
“6. Necessary entries/correction may be made in the VF-II and furnish the colour attested copies of the entry alongwith compliance report must sent to this department within three (03) days positively.”
Besides others, the above letter was sent to NAB in order to convey that the illegal allotments are being cancelled. But on October 7, 2015, the Secretary Sindh Utilisation Department, sent the following letter, not shared with NAB:
The “subject” and operative part of the latest letter reads as:
“SUBJECT: REGULARISATION OF AN AREA OF 10-23 ACREAS LAND OF DEH MEHRAN KARACHI.
The land in question caz 00-22 ghuntas falls in N.C No. 21 of Deh Doozan & 10-23 acres fall in Deh Mehran i.e. 00-30 ghuntas from abandoned path, 04-06 acres in Nakabuli No. 260 of Deh Mehran, 00-24 ghuntas in N.K No. 513, 00-01 ghunta from N.K No 472, 01-32 acres in N.K No. 261 & 02-31 acres in N.K No. 188 of Deh Mehran total areas 10-36 acres was regularized under letter No. 01-(176&306)-02/SO-I/90, dated 25.05.2012.
“The regularization letter dated 25.05.2012 is hereby restored/intact. The letter No. 01-184-03/SO-I/505, dated 29.09.2015 is hereby withdrawn/cancelled.
sd
Secretary to Government of Sindh
Land Utilization Department.”