Court imposes Rs20,000 fine on NAB for failure to file reference in land scam

An accountability court on Friday imposed a fine of Rs20,000 on the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for being tedious in filing a reference in an alleged land scam worth Rs3.5 billion.

The accountability court – I judge, Abdul Ghani Soomro, was hearing a case against three builders, Lal Muhammad, Adam Khan Jokhio and Haji Adam Khan, who allegedly defrauded 1,100 allottees of a housing project Gulshen-e-Elahi in Malir.

At the outset of the hearing, NAB Investigation Officer Khalid Khan presented a report on behalf of the anti-graft watchdog’s Karachi director general, seeking more time to file the reference against the builders.

Expressing his displeasure at the report, the judge observed that the matter was lingering on because of such delays on part of NAB. He referred to the proceedings of the previous hearing during which the IO had informed the court that a draft reference had already been sent to the NAB headquarters for approval and would be furnished in the court on the next hearing on Friday.

The judge said that the report stated that the reference against the suspects was approved for filing in the NAB’s regional board meeting on June 10 and a draft reference was sent to the headquarters on June 21 and then on July 19 more documents were sent on the request of the high-ups for scrutiny.

He observed that such delays and then requisition for more time reflected a “lackluster attitude” of NAB’s Karachi office. He added, “Therefore, a cost of Rs20,000 is imposed on NAB and the same should be paid through the IO.”

Meanwhile, the judge added that in the interest of justice, NAB was given another chance to file the reference by September 10. He also directed the IO to pursue the matter with its headquarters and furnish a report in the court on the next hearing.

According to NAB, the suspects launched the project on 70 acres of land and collected millions of rupees from hundreds of allottees in 1992. Later in 2013, they split the same piece of land on which another builder launched a separate project. In December 2020, the court rejected an application filed by the builders pleading to accept their plea bargain settlement with NAB in the case.