LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday expressed dismay over the slow pace of investigation in the LDA City housing scam by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The chief justice observed that the investigation being held at a snail’s pace would ultimately benefit the bigwigs involved in the housing scam and the people who purchased files of plots would continue to suffer.

A special bench headed by the chief justice was hearing an application of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general seeking permission to procure and transfer remaining land for the housing scheme by the development partners. Justice Ijazul Ahsan is the other member of the bench which assembled at 5pm at the Lahore registry.

The counsel for the LDA submitted that the land acquired so far by its partners was scattered. He said the acquisition of 20,000-kanal land was required to compact the housing scheme.

Chief Justice Nisar observed that this whole project appeared to be a fraud and the investigation by the NAB was not satisfactory.

Answering a court’s query, the counsel stated that a Joint Venture (JV) of five developers/companies failed to acquire the agreed land for the LDA under the public-private partnership programme. He said some of the owners of these companies were in the custody of the NAB while others escaped abroad. The JV comprises Alpha Developers, Pak-Estate, Urban Developers, Maymar Housing and Paragon Developers.

The NAB’s counsel told the court that measures were being taken for the arrest of the absconders while some of the suspects including former railways minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq and his brother Khwaja Salman Rafiq had been granted pre-arrest bail by the Lahore High Court.

The chief justice directed the NAB to produce the complete record showing how many suspects were on bail, arrested or absconding. He said the court would itself order arrest of the suspects.

Justice Ahsan observed that the LDA should have a plan-B to deal with the situation in case of non-acquisition of the proposed land. The bench would resume hearing on Dec 15.

MANSHA BAMM: Deputy Commissioner Saleha Saeed told the Supreme Court that 15 individuals had submitted applications regarding illegal occupation of their property since a camp had been established in Johar Town to receive public complaints against notorious land grabber Mansha Ali Khokhar.

She said the applications received at the camp were being scrutinised for further action.

Meanwhile, the LDA’s counsel told the court that the plots owned by an overseas Pakistani, Mahmood Ashraf, had been recovered from the possession of Mansha Bamm. However, he said, the owner of the land needed to move a civil court for the possession as the authority did not regulate the plots in question.

Chief Justice Nisar disposed of the matter of Mr Ashraf and directed him to approach the civil court for further relief.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2018