QUETTA: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Balochistan, filed a reference related to a land scam involving six accused, including three former officials of revenue department, in the Accountability Court here on Friday.

The reference is related to alleged Rs160 million loss to the exchequer caused by illegal sale of land after tampering with the revenue record of Gizarwan ward of Gwadar district.

NAB has nominated former Tehsildar of Gwadar Mohammad Jan Baloch, former Naib Tehsildar Agha Zafar Hussain, former Patwari Abdul Khaliq and three private persons, including Noor Ahmed and Noor Ahmed Siahpad, a lawyer, as accused in the reference.

According to NAB, initial investigation has revealed that the accused officials tampered with the revenue record of Gizarwan ward of Gwadar district after which several acres of valuable land were illegally sold to private persons through forgery, causing the loss of Rs160m to the national exchequer.

NAB, Balochistan, filed the reference after completing the investigation into the case.

Agha Zafar Hussain and Noor Ahmad are already facing two separate cases of corruption of Rs430m related to land in Gwadar.

NAB is also investigating several other cases of corruption worth millions of rupees pertaining to land in Colgari Ward, Naguri Ward and Mouza Karwat of Gwadar district.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2021