REFERENCE / COMPLAINT NO. XVIII

Reference dated 13-3-2004 – Billion Rs Land Grab – Lahore

To: The Chairman
National Accountability Bureau
President’s Secretariat
Islamabad.

Subject: Complaint REgarding LAND IN PARK VIEW HOUSING SOCIETY LAHORE from Pakistan Peoples Party Through its Central Secretariat, Islamabad In terms of Section 5 and 18 (b) (ii) 0F THE NATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY BUREAU (NAB) ORDINANCE 1999 against the Public Office Holder for punishment under Section 10 of NAB Ordinance

1. The respondents in this complaint do fall within the ambit of NAB Ordinance 1999 for the purposes of investigation trial and punishment.

2. The respondents are reportedly guilty of corruption and corrupt practices as defined in Section 9 of the Ordinance and as such are subject to punishment under Section 10 of the Ordinance based upon the following facts and grounds:

Facts and Grounds:
According to a news item published in South Asia Tribune dated January 18-24, 2004 (copy enclosed), a serious case of corruption and abuse of power in respect of grabbling of land in Park View Housing Society Lahore has been reported.

According to the information received, the management of the Park View Housing Society Lahore, in a single meeting took over 150 to 185 plots of its members on the flimsy grounds that these members have not paid its development charges. The said members were deprived of their valuable plots under the pretext that notices were sent to their last known addresses to pay the development charges and these notices were never followed up without any reminders of phone calls.

After a while all these 150 – 185 plots were confiscated without going through any legal procedure. No foreclosure rules were applied as these rules would force them to claim only that which is due to them and rerun the rest to the rightful owners. The idea was to entangle owners, some living overseas, into complications and force them to forego their claims or their rights.

It is worth mentioning here, that Mr Alimullah Khan, Minister for Information Technology Punjab is said to be the Secretary of the above Society and this land development is thought to be his means of ascendancy. The scam was not just raised with the local authorities, without much response, it was also circulated among the potential foreign investors.

The above scam has not only deprived innocents members in Pakistan but also people working abroad have also been defrauded, resulting into bad name to the country’s image. Some influential bureaucrats and other influential people also seem to be glove in hand with the above provincial minister and the matter needs thorough investigation.

Conclusion:
Based on the above facts and grounds respondents have shown willful indulgence in corrupt practices under Section 9 of the Ordinance. Such persons are subject to punishment under Section 10 of the Ordinance.

As such the Chairman of the NAB is called upon to initiate investigation in connection with the matters set out herein above and further proceed to file a reference against respondents for violating the provisions of Section 9 of the Ordinance punishable under Section 10 of the Ordinance in competent court of law and proceed against those concerned for violating Section 9 of the Ordinance.

Complainant
Pakistan Peoples Party

Through:
Nayyer Bokhari Advocate
Islamabad Dated: 13-03-2004
The Reference / Complaint is based on the source incorporated as under :

Another Billion Rupee Land Grab Scam in Lahore Damaging Pakistan Image

Special SAT Report
South Asia Tribune - Jan 18-24

LAHORE: Some ex-Generals, along with their natural allies, the bureaucrats, are trying to gobble up precious privately owned Lahore land worth almost a billion rupees, but this time the victims include some influential people who may turn the tables on these grabbers.

According to details of the latest land grab scam, a society called the Park View Housing society, has in a single meeting taken over between 150-185 plots of its members on the flimsy grounds that these members have not paid their development charges.

The land, once not so valuable, suddenly turned into gold when a new airport was planned right across it. The managers of the society saw a great opportunity to grab as many of the Rs 5 million per kanal plots as they could. Innocent looking notices were sent to obsolete addresses to pay the development charges and these notices were never followed up with any reminders or phone calls.

After a while all these 150 plots were confiscated without going through any legal court to take over private property. No foreclosure rules were applied as these rules would force them to claim only that which is due to them and return the rest to the rightful owners. The idea was to entangle owners, some living overseas, into complications and force them to forego their claims or their rights.

This was not to be. Some of the owners are highly placed officials of organizations which carry more weight with the Pakistan Government that any retired general or bureaucrat.

One of the owner told the SA Tribune that powerful people were involved in the scam. "I believe generals and the Punjab IT minister are included in this group. The IT minister is the secretary of the society and this land development is thought to be his means of ascendancy," the owner said.

The scam was not just raised with the local authorities, without much response, it was also circulated among the potential foreign investors.

"That is where the crooks got hurt and Islamabad may be force to take notice," the owner said. "If people working abroad in important places are defrauded in this manner, they could alert the entire foreign investors community not to touch Pakistan and this could be very damaging," he said.

The alerts sent to some foreign investors, including many in the Silicon Valley and others in America, asked them to think twice before buying property in Pakistan. "If property rights are so easily violated, a simple postal delay could make you a victim of qabza if the Park View principle is followed," they were told.

One retired General Janjua was said to be the key figure of the scam and petitions were being sent to General Musharraf and Lahore Governor General Maqbool to stop him before he could do permanent damage to Pakistan's image as a safe place to buy property or invest in business.