ISLAMABAD: In what is being termed a major breakthrough in the investigation into the Eden Housing scam, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested Dr Murtaza Amjad, son-in-law of former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, in Dubai on Wednesday.

This was disclosed by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry while addressing the media in Islamabad. He also hinted at the arrest of other suspects in the housing scam, including Dr Murtaza’s son, daughter and father, saying that a decision on their arrest was expected within hours.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had sought a detailed report on this scam, which was unearthed in 2013, but the then CJP fixed it before his bench to “provide relief to in laws of his daughter”.

The arrest comes just days after the people affected by the housing scam staged a protest demonstration outside PM Khan’s Lahore residence, demanding the recovery of the millions of rupees allegedly looted from them in the name of the housing scheme.

Information minister says FIA executed warrants for Dr Murtaza’s arrest in Dubai

Mr Chaudhry said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had issued warrants for Dr Murtaza’s arrest and the FIA executed the arrest warrants in Dubai.

The anti-graft watchdog had summoned the owners of the housing society to appear before it in April. Notices were issued to Dr Amjad, Anum Amjad, Dr Murtaza Amjad and Mustafa Amjad.

NAB had requested the interior ministry in February to place the accused on the Exit Control List (ECL), but a considerable delay on the part of the government provided them a chance to flee Pakistan in April last year. Dr Amjad and his two sons travelled to Canada, as the interior ministry had not put their names on the ECL by April despite the bureau’s request.

Earlier, NAB chairman retried Justice Javed Iqbal had informed the victims of the Eden Housing scam in Lahore that the caretaker government had been asked to put the names of Eden Housing management on the ECL. He disclosed that over 11,000 complaints had been received against the housing scheme management.

According to NAB, the Eden group owned property worth up to Rs20 billion. All known assets worth billions of repees and bank accounts in the names of Eden Developers and the owners have already been frozen. The assets unearthed so far included 333-kanal land at Mauza Baghria and Dharmachand, Lahore; 404-kanal 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-marla 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 land at Mauza Tamma, Islamabad.

NAB claimed that it would soon compensate the affected people of the housing scam.

Last year the bureau had asked the Eden group to hand over plots and houses to the allottees, who had paid nearly full price, by March 31 this year. However, the complainants said they had not been provided the promised land even after the deadline.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2018