KARACHI: A joint investigation team (JIT) that interrogated former chairman of the Fishermen Cooperative Society (FCS) Dr Nisar Morai in 2016 was of the considered view that he had a “criminal and corruption history” and was allegedly involved in illegal appointments, land grabbing and patronising gambling dens.

On Tuesday, the Sindh High Court had allowed a petition of a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader seeking to make public the JIT reports of the Baldia factory fire, Lyari gangster Uzair Baloch and Dr Morai. The court observed that if these reports were publicised, no prejudice would be caused to either party at trial.

Dr Morai was arrested in 2016 and the Sindh home department had set up a JIT, led by the then Malir SSP Rao Anwar.

According to the JIT report, a copy of which is available with Dawn, he disclosed that former home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza had provided “financial support, arms and ammunition” to the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi “to strengthen them to resist” the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

He told the JIT members that he possessed around 38 weapons, including eight Kalashnikovs, as “he is fond of weapons collection”. Besides he also owned expensive properties in Karachi and Hyderabad and luxury vehicles.

The document alleges Dr Morai had very strong links with some political figures

“It has been found that the accused had established and maintained a very strong link with few political figures and has accepted his involvement in financial corruption,” said the JIT report.

He told the JIT that after completing MBBS from the Liaquat Medical College, Jamshoro, he was appointed a doctor in the health department in 1989 and served in rural areas up to 1999. He was without posting from 2000 to 2008. In 2009, he was posted in an Ibrahim Hyderi dispensary but did not join the duty “due to political activities assigned to him”.

Regarding his other alleged criminal and financial activities, the JIT said that he “reinstated” 150 persons in the fisheries department due to threats of Lyari gangster Baba Ladla, and appointed ‘ghost’ employees including five in grade 17 and 18.

He told the JIT that in 2014, he visited the United States for his treatment and took about $55,000 with him. Later, the fisheries department sent Rs10 million for his treatment abroad.

He also told the JIT that he had contacts with chief of outlawed Peoples Amn Committee Uzair Baloch.

The JIT claimed that he also possessed one bungalow and a flat in Defence, one bungalow and six plots in Hyderabad and eight luxury vehicles.

About his business contacts, the JIT claimed Dr Morai obtained the contracts of Toll Plaza link road on the Superhighway, contract of livestock check post at Nooriabad and contract of a cattle market and earned millions of rupees on a monthly basis.

He told the JIT that with help of then home minister Dr Mirza, two police officers and others, he started land grabbing in Surjani Town and earned Rs40m.

He also revealed that around 40-50 acres of official lands in Saifal Goth, Gulshan-i-Hadeed were sold against a sum of Rs20m.

The JIT members had declared Dr Morai as ‘black’ — guilty of the crimes alleged — and recommended to the police authorities, Anti-Corruption Establishment and National Accountability Bureau to initiate investigations against him over his alleged criminal and financial activities.

Besides, they also recommended registration of fresh FIRs on charges of possessing “illegal weapons” recovered on a lead provided by him.

Last year, NAB had filed a reference against Dr Morai and others for allegedly misusing their authority, embezzlement of funds, illegal appointments and awarding fake contracts during 2014-15 causing a loss of over Rs343m to the national exchequer.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2020