NAB says only GHQ can probe Musharraf in military land scam

ISLAMABAD: Top NAB officials insist that initiating inquiry against General Musharraf for doling out 10,000 of military land, meant for the families of the martyred as political bribe and to his favourites is the domain of GHQ, and not of the Bureau.
Talking to The News, key NAB officials said that NAB law bars it from proceeding against Army men in cases of corruption and misuse of power.These officials said that on papers it was the military land that was distributed among the civilians on the written orders of the Adjutant General. As per law, these sources said, the Bureau could not question either the Adjutant General or the then Army Chief (General Musharraf).
This matter, they said, could only be inquired by the GHQ itself.NAB sources said that in the case of DI Khan land, NAB had approached the GHQ but did not get any reply. Regarding the military land allotted to Musharraf’s favourites and his staff members, mostly civilians, in Punjab, these sources said that they never looked into this matter.
However, they said that whether in Punjab, KPK or in any other part of the country if the military land is allotted to any civilian by the military authorities on the then Army Chief’s direction, NAB could not do anything.
These sources said that the civilians, who were either allotted the military land or were involved in the exercise because of their official capacity, when confronted by the NAB retorted by saying that the question be put to the authority that had made the allotment.
Former dictator General (R) Pervez Musharraf had doled out over 10,000 kanals of military land meant for war veterans and families of the martyred soldiers to the front men of some of his political opponents, non-entitled army men and dozens of civilians including his cook, barber, butler, gunmen and other members of his personal staff.
GHQ allotted this huge chunk of military land in Punjab and KPK provinces to non-entitled civilians and soldiers on Musharraf’s orders. Over two dozens of staff members and officials attached with Musharraf during his stay in Presidency were also allotted hundreds of kanals of military land.
In case of allotment of 6,700 kanals of military land in the Punjab to 47 civilian officials of the provincial government during Musharraf’s rule, a reference was made to the military authorities by the Shahbaz Sharif government to cancel the anomalous transfer. However, no decision has been taken as yet on the issue.
With regard to the land given to non-military personnel including the front men of a few politicians in Dera Ismail Khan during the Musharraf regime, it was admitted by the military spokesman during General Kayani’s tenure that the allotments had no legal sanction but despite this flagrant illegality committed by the military dictator and former president, corrective measures have not been taken.
In Punjab 47 civilian officials (mostly belonging to the Revenue Department) were allotted 6,700 kanals of military land during Musharraf’s regime. Most of these officials were made OSD by the Shahbaz Sharif government during his last term. The Punjab government also formally approached the military authorities to get the controversial allocations cancelled.
The Punjab government was of the view that the civilian beneficiaries have been rewarded for going beyond the call of duty in facilitating the entire process.The Punjab government also believed that if at all some part of the military land was required to be allotted to civilian officials by the GHQ it should be done through the provincial government instead of making such allotments directly.
Musharraf also gifted away thousands of kanals of military land in Punjab to dozens of people who had been serving him well during his long stay in the Presidency. On Musharraf’s orders, not only such land was allotted to his cook, barber, butler and gunmen, but to all members of his personal staff. A vast majority of such Army men were not entitled to get this benefit but they were still favoured because the man who ruled Pakistan and ruined every state institution desired so without any fear of being questioned or held accountable.
With reference to the controversial allotments of military lands in DI Khan NAB in 2010-11 had approached the GHQ for the cancellation of such allotments but there has been neither any response nor any action taken to revoke Musharraf’s orders. The allotment of military land during Musharraf’s tenure in 2004 to the civilians in DI Khan was an illegal act and against the terms and conditions set for the allotment of such lands. Thousands of kanals of military land was allotted, including 1,200 kanals to front men of two top leaders of a political party.