QUETTA: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday filed a reference following an investigation into the illegal allotment of 581 plots allegedly by some senior officials of the Gwadar Industrial Estate and Development Authority (GIEDA), which caused a huge loss to the national exchequer.

GIEDA’s former managing director Ahsan Mahboob, General Man­a­ger Waqas Ahmed, GM Industries Shahid and Nadeem Khosa and Consultant Mohammad Aslam Shah were nominated in the reference filed in the accountability court of Quetta. The suspects violated rules and regulations for illegal allotment of commercial and industrial plots to their friends and relatives.

It was revealed during the investigation that government lands in Gwadar Industrial Estate, which was set up to promote industry and trade in the port city, were allotted to people who had nothing to do with industry and trade.

The NAB Balochistan has filed the reference in the accountability court of Quetta in the light of solid evidence against the suspects.

It may be mentioned that the NAB Balochistan has already filed a case of massive corruption in the Gwadar Industrial State and Development Authority in the accountability court against the same officials.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2021