NAB takes notice of alleged corruption in DHA, Bahria Town

Progress on cases impeded by pressure from influential personalities: NAB sources.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has taken notice of alleged corruption of Rs62 billion in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and Bahria Town, INP reported.

According to NAB sources, the bureau is already investigating multiple cases of corruption in the two organisations. NAB sources have also said that NAB has launched an investigation into the allegations made in an application sent to the chairman by the former director of engineering DHA Col. (r ) Tariq Kamal, in which the corruption of Rs62b was pointed out.

The issue has been placed on the agenda for the meeting of the executive board and will be presented formally in the next meeting. The expectation is that after the discussion, the NAB Chairman will issue orders for a full-fledged investigation into the issue, according to sources.

Additionally, sources said that scores of applications against alleged misappropriations by the management of DHA and Bahria Town were being processed at various stages presently,  but the progress on these cases has been impeded by  pressure from  influential people.

NAB authorities have been under pressure since the new scandal surfaced, fearing that if it does not take proper action, the Supreme Court can take suo motu notice, said sources.

Dr Ayesha Siddiqa, spokesperson for the NAB, said that the bureau will investigate the issue as it investigates any other case of this kind, sources said.

This case has also become a hot topic on the social networking website Twitter, where a large number of Pakistanis have raised questions on the issue, prompting Dr Siddiqa to reply that the NAB will investigate the issue following normal procedures, as it would investigate any other case of corruption.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2012.