KARACHI: An accountability court on Monday dismissed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) application seeking restoration of its reference against Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Syed Mustafa Kamal and others in a case pertaining to the alleged illegal allotment of land at the seaside.

On Monday, the court announced its reversed order in which the court dismissed the application and upheld its earlier decision to remand back the reference to the NAB chairman on the grounds of jurisdiction.

Earlier, the case was remanded back to the NAB chairman after amendments in the NAB ordinance. However, following the Supreme Court’s stay on the amendments, the prosecutor had filed an application to restore the reference.

During the hearing, defence counsel Hassan Sabir objected to the NAB plea and argued that the anti-graft watchdog failed to prove charges against his client. He also argued that the prosecution did not produce evidence that Mr Kamal had taken monetary benefits.

Speaking to the media outside the NAB court, Mr Kamal said that after five years, the court had now stated that the allegations against him were false.

He added that he forgave those who wronged him, but he wanted to tell those running the country that the system was not functioning. He expressed concern that the same injustice might have happened to others who had resorted to taking up arms.

“This system has ruined the country,” Mr Kamal said, adding that “even today, the common people face similar treatment in the courts.”

After five years, it had been written that “I am acquitted in this case,” he said, adding that the case against him was as absurd as being accused of murder when the supposed victim was standing in front of him.

“When the case was filed against me, the land in question was private property, and it remains private property to this day,” the MQM leader said.

Mr Kamal pointed out that in five years, neither a single witness was presented nor any corruption, even amounting to one rupee, was proven against him.

The former mayor further said that the country was in a state of disarray and was being run artificially, adding that the country needed judicial reforms. He recalled that in 2019, the PTI was in power and politicians were encouraged to join it.

The NAB court had indicted then mayor Mr Kamal in November 2020 for an illegal amalgamation of commercial land to Bahria Town for a multi-storey building in Karachi.

The court also indicted four builders — Mohammad Dawood, Mohammad Yaqoob, Mohammad Irfan and Mohammad Rafiq — all associated with DJ Builders and Developers.

According to the reference, Sindh Building Control Authority Director General Iftikhar Qaimkhani, Fazlur Rehman, Mumtaz Haider and Nazir Zardari were also involved in the alleged illegal activity.

According to the NAB, the land had been leased to shop owners and hawkers in 1980 and then in 2005, the DJ builders acquired the land on a lease.

The former city mayor was involved in allowing the construction company to build a skyscraper on the land, the NAB had claimed in the reference.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2024