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Friday March 29, 2024

NAB doing nothing to expose Chiniot treasure ‘robbers’

ISLAMABAD: Indifference and callousness towards the loot and plunder of national wealth is such a routine business in Pakistan that the actual players involved in the 2007 failed robbery of Chiniot treasure remained untraced despite the fact that the official documents have a lot to offer.The National Accountability Bureau (NAB)

By Ansar Abbasi
February 15, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Indifference and callousness towards the loot and plunder of national wealth is such a routine business in Pakistan that the actual players involved in the 2007 failed robbery of Chiniot treasure remained untraced despite the fact that the official documents have a lot to offer.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was told both by the Lahore High Court and the Punjab government during the recent years to probe the matter but nothing has been done apparently because of the involvement of some influential “hidden hand” that was aggressively pushing and pursuing the case for the controversial contact signed in late 2007.
The joint venture was signed with an unknown, alleged to be a “fake” company, in such a hush-hush and rush-rush manner that on a public holiday- 23rd March 2007- one US based Arshad Waheed of Earth Resource Private Limited moved his request for the joint venture and the same day EPRL men met the then Mining Minister Sibtain Khan at his official residence.
They met again the next day on 24th March and within a few days time, ERPL men were given complete briefing about the hidden treasures in Chiniot.
Although the agreement was signed in December 2007, but despite the managing director Mining’s request that the matter should be duly examined by the Finance Department as well as the Law Department, Punjab, it was not done.
The government had allotted this iron and copper reserve to ERPL without competitive bidding in a non-transparent manner and on conditions where all rights of this huge national asset were being transferred to the company by the government with the commitment that in return, the latter would get only 20 percent shares.
But, interestingly, this deal was struck without ascertaining the standing of the company and its shares, which, according to sources, could not be ascertained. More so the agreement was also not signed on a stamp paper.
The documents available with The News shows that in his 23rd March 2007 application by Arshad Waheed to Mining Minister Sibtain Khan, it was acknowledged that “the concerned department of the Government of Punjab has discovered Hematite and Magnetite at the above reference location (Chiniot and Rajoa) during its preliminary exploration activities.” Here the question arises that why despite the initial discoveries the national wealth was sold out for mere 20% share, which too were never confirmed whether the company had any shares or not.
On 27th March 2007, Waheed wrote to Sibtain at his official GoR residential address, thanking him for the 23rd and 24th March meetings besides having been facilitated for meetings with Punjab Miniral authorities, including DG Mines. On the basis of these meetings, Waheed intended to enter into a joint venture with the government of Punjab to accomplish (i) Complete the exploration activities/prepare the techno-economic feasibility report, (ii) establish and commission a world class mining operation, and (iii) establish a steel mill.
The document added that by then the Punjab Mining Department was working on 1100 acres, but the ERPL wanted to apply for exploration rights for additional 5000 acres of the adjacent areas.
On April 23, the initial application of 23rd March was processed in the Mining Department with Sibtain Khan’s directions: “Pl process and put up a detailed report within three days. Treat it as a most urgent case.”
His then Secretary and other officials also marked it as “Time limit” case and sought the views of the MD, Punjab Mineral Development Corporation (PUNJMIN) within 3 days.
Sources said that some senior officials in PUNJMIN had their reservations and thus was not keen on going for this venture. The matter delayed; in September 2007 the PUNJMIN Board decided, “The Board directed Punjmin to hold negotiations with ERPL and put up case to the secretary Mines with agreed MoU for further approval of Government of the Punjab.”
Later, the Mining Department further pursued the case which when referred to Punjmin MD, he advised that the draft MoU with ERPL should be referred to the Finance Department as well as the Law Department for detailed review of legal and financial issues involved. However, the then secretary Mineral Department overlooked his advice and directed his additional secretary to prepare summary for the chief minister’s approval in regard to the joint venture. The same day fair summary was issued which was subsequently approved by the then chief minister following which the joint venture was signed.
In the summary, it was mentioned that the Iron Ore reserves are generally of low grade—the fact that has been totally denied by the recent successful explorations.
Following the 2008 elections, the following government of Shahbaz Sharif government revoked the fishy deal in 2008 whereas the superior judiciary also endorsed the decision and noted, “Stark violations in the disposal and transfer of public property and heartless breach of public trust by the public functionaries (public trustees) cannot be overlooked.”
The LHC added, “They (Those in the government) must act to achieve the collective interest. Indeed, there is a serious concern—a concern that history has repeatedly validated—that representatives of the government will develop their own interests and use the tremendous power granted them for purposes that did not reflect that collective good.” Both the LHC and the Punjab Government had referred the case to NAB.