NAB asked to take notice of alleged land scam in Sindh

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has been reported an alleged “mother of all land scams” worth hundreds of billions of rupees in Sindh where controversial allotment of 20,800 acres of land to Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) — three plots of 100 acres each in Deh Khadeji, 5,000 sq yds in Block 7 Gulshan-e-Iqbal Karachi, 17,000 sq yd Railway land in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 13-D/2, 4 acres of Karachi Municipal Corporation land adjacent to Safari Park, 11 acres in Gulshan-e-Jauhar Block 6 and 4 acres in Block 5, Gulshan-e-Jauhar Karachi is being done.
A complaint of Transparency International to NAB has also been sent to the Supreme Court with reference to HRC No. 22978-S/2014, to be heard on 10.2. 2015. A copy has also been sent to the prime minister, Sindh chief minister, federal minister for railways and Karachi Port Trust chairman.
The letter of the Transparency International chairman urged NAB to take cognisance of the issue to stop illegal allotment of state land in Sindh. NAB has been reported that illegal allotment of land 20,800 acres for the HDA is being done besides three plots of 100 acres each in New Clifton No. 39 Deh Khadeji. Transparency’s letter said that new projects in the name of “Public Interest”, are being undertaken with the aim to sell out state land. An illegal housing project on KPT Land, on 300 acre Clifton beach, with pretext that KMC needs funds to pay its staff, is being approved. A similar new project has been proposed for the HDA (Gulshan-e-Sarmast) on 20,800 acres, which will cover an area of over 32 square miles.
Many plots in multiple acres out of this 32 square miles land have also been allotted in the name of various parties, which are benami allotments. The land is not available, as well as the cost of the land is also being manipulated to be peanuts, the watchdog reported.
NAB has been told that the local government secretary on 14.1.2015 prepared three summaries for fresh allotment of 100 acre plots adjacent to DHA City in Gadap Area to three benami firms. The three fresh allotments have been approved. The cost of 100 acre land is different in all three cases which proves that these are allegedly fake allotments. How can the three companies were allotted plots without open bidding, auction etc. It is reported that these are benami plots.
“17000 Sq yds land reserved for Central Railway Station in Block 13-D/2, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi, has been allotted to a private person through alleged manipulation in revenue records. Market value of the land is Rs1.7 billion. Four acre KMC land in between Safari Park and Allahdin Amusement Park allotted on throwaway prices to a private person in 2012 through manipulation in revenue record. 11 Acre land in Block 6, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, allotted to private person Hadi Bux Memon through manipulation in revenue record and creating fake record of a Goth under Goothabad Scheme, giving it Survey No 7, Deh Safooran, cancelling allotted plots of genuine ballot allottees of the KDA. Market value of land is Rs2 billion. Four acre land in Block-5, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, allotted to Mr Khhob Chand declaring KDA land as revenue land cancelling allotted plots of the KDA through manipulation in revenue record. 5,000 Sq yds precious land in Block 17, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi (behind Residence of DG Rangers) was allotted recently through newly created survey No 303 in Deh Okewari,” the complaint to NAB adds.
The TI Pakistan has requested NAB Sindh director general to immediately take cognisance of this mega land corruption which is going on in Karachi in particular and in Sindh in general, under NAO 1999, Section 9 and 10.