LAHORE: None of the owners and directors of the Eden Housing and Developers appeared before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) here on Friday in the multi-billion housing scam.

So far more than 2,000 claims have been filed with the NAB against the Eden group for allegedly depriving them of their hard-earned money worth billions.

Over a year ago the NAB had given March 31, 2018, deadline to the Eden group for handing over plots and houses to those who had paid almost full amount but it failed to do so.

The NAB had summoned Eden group owners and directors, including Dr Muhammad Amjad, Anjum Amjad, Mustafa Amjad and Murtaza Amjad, to appear before its investigation officers on Friday.

NAB Lahore Director General Shahzad Saleem had ordered initiating criminal proceedings against Eden Housing Developers Pvt Limited owners and directors after receiving hundreds of complaints against them.

All known assets worth billions and bank accounts in the name of Eden Developers and the owners had been frozen, NAB said. The assets unearthed so far included 333 kanals at mauza Baghria and Dharmachand, Lahore; 404 kanals and four marla commercial land in Edenabad, Defence Road, Lahore; 111 commercial plots in Eden Housing, Lahore; a plaza in Eden Tower, Main Boulevard, Gulberg; eight commercial plots in Eden Canal Villas; two commercial plots measuring four-kanal each in Eden City near Lahore airport; two plots measuring 10-marl each in Eden City; 26 commercial plots in Eden Residentia, College Road, Lahore; eight-kanal luxury bungalow on Canal Bank Road, Lahore; and five-marla at mauzas Tamma, Islamabad.

Last week, a good number of affectees had held a demonstration outside the NAB’s Thokar Niaz Beg office demanding action against the Eden group for its failure to compensate them.

Director General Shahzad Saleem had assured them that the bureau would redress their grievances.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2018