NAB files reference over Bahria Town Karachi land grab – Pakistan

• Watchdog says ‘illegal dealings’ between officials, Bahria Town involving over 17,000 acres cost exchequer Rs708 billion
• Ex-CM Qaim, Sharjeel Memon, Malik Riaz, and senior govt officials among suspects

KARACHI: The National Accountability Bureau has filed a reference against former Sindh chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, senior minister Sharjeel Memon, property tycoon Malik Riaz, and several senior government officials for converting, exchanging, and transferring government land to Bahria Town.

The accountability watchdog alleged that the entire hierarchy of the executive, the revenue board, and the Malir Development Authority (MDA) had conspired to cede valuable public property to an individual for some gains. The NAB investigating officer filed the reference before the administrative judge of accountability courts Karachi and named 33 individuals as accused.

It maintained that the accused in active connivance grabbed 17,671.87 acres under the grab of “adjustment/exchange/consolidation in 2013-14 in sheer violation of law for Bahria Town, causing a colossal loss of over Rs708.08 billion to the national exchequer.

The reference names former Sindh Board of Revenue member Ahmed Baksh Narejo; land utilisation department’s secretaries Saqib Ahmed Soomro and Mohammad Javed Hanif Khan; then MDA director general Mohammad Sohail; Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) directors general Manzoor Qadir and Agha Maqsood Abbas; deputy commissioner (East) Kazi Jan Mohammad; various assistant commissioners; Bahria Town CEO Ahmed Ali Riaz; vice chairman Zain Malik; and others.

As per the reference, the inquiry was started in 2015 after a complaint about usurpation of the government land by Bahria Town for ‘Bahria Town Karachi’ project in Malir, near the M-9 Motorway. The inquiry was subsequently upgraded into an investigation in 2016.

The reference said CM Qaim Ali Shah connived with co-accused by not approving the “Summary for CM” dated Jan 12, 2016, forwarded by the prosecution witness/the-then member Board of Revenue Sindh Mohammad Waseem for cancellation of earlier issued on Dec 26, 2013, by Ahmed Baksh Narejo in violation of MDA Act, 1993.

On the contrary, CM Qaim Ali Shah with mala fide intentions directed the local government department secretary to issue a corrigendum on May 5, 2016. The CM neither had jurisdiction nor was competent to issue such corrigendum, it claimed.

Sharjeel Memon, a senior minister in the incumbent government, was the MDA chairman and local government department minister at the time and he approved “regulation regarding consolidation/adjustment/exchange of private Kabuli survey lands & state land alleged by the board of revenue etc.” in violation of Section 49 of the MDA Act.

It claimed that in the first MDA meeting held on Jan 24, 2014, Mr Memon also approved the adjustment of the government land to Bahria Town while he had also approved the preliminary concept plan of 32 dehs as well as a layout plan of Bahria Town Karachi in violation of law and regulations.

It further said Ahmed Baksh Narejo had issued a notification on Dec 26, 2013, for conducting a physical survey and preparation of the road network and also directed the MDA and revenue authorities to update the record of rights and keep entries in the computerised registers, but no such approval was given in the summary for the CM, it added.

The reference said that Saqib Memon had invoked Section 10(1) of the Colonisation of Government Land Act (COGLA) 1912 and issued an imperative order on Jan 24, 2014, through which 14,617 acres of the government land was allotted/reserved in favour of Bahria Town. It maintained that Javed Hanif had deliberately issued allotment letters on Jan 31, 2015, to the MDA when the possession of allotted government land was already with Bahria Town.

Similarly, it said that Mohammad Sohail had granted approvals for adjustment/exchange/consolidation of 7,220 acres of private Kabuli land with unallotted government land in violation of the laws as well as a restraining order of the apex court issued in 2012.

The reference further said that the then DC East, along with other officials, in connivance with the co-accused had participated in the transfer of government land of over 7,220 acres.

It said then SBCA DG Manzoor Qadir approved Bahria Town’s application titled “issuance of permission for booking Bahria Town Karachi” in violation of the Sindh Building Control Ordinance and Karachi Town Planning Regulations, while Agha Masood failed to take action against the illegal media advertisement of Bahria Town Karachi.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2025