NAB arrests two retired military officers in DHA Islamabad scam

CEO of M/s Elysium Holdings Pakistan Ltd Waseem Aslam was also arrested for illegally selling unsaleable certificates

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Rawalpindi arrested on Thursday two former military and a civilian officers as the main accused in Defence Housing Authority (DHA)  Islamabad farmhouse project scam.

The accused, ex-administrator of DHA Brig (retd) Javed Iqbal and ex-director project of DHA Col (retd) Sabahat Qadeer Butt, caused a huge amount of loss as they illegally sold non-saleable certificates of the project in violation of the contract between DHA and Elysium Holdings Pakistan Ltd, an official statement said.



The communiqué also revealed that Waseem Aslam, CEO of M/s Elysium Holdings Pakistan Ltd, who was also a prime accused sold non-saleable certificates of DHA in violation of the agreement and without paying the land owners.

While the accountability court has granted physical remand of the three accused in the case till January 29, a formal inquiry is underway at the NAB, Rawalpindi.

Separately, the NAB has launched an investigation against the brother of former army chief General (retd) Ashfaq Parvez Kayani over his alleged involvement in a Rs17 billion DHA City Lahore scam.



The DHA City project was launched in 2009 primarily to accommodate and facilitate the families of “shuhada [martyrs], war wounded and soldiers of Pakistan armed forces by allotting them small size plots in recognition of their services for the country”.

Gen Kayani’s brother Kamran Kayani of Elysium Holding and Hammad Arshad of Globaco offered their services to facilitate DHA Lahore to carry out the project by acquiring land.

However, they failed to deliver the plots to soldiers and families of martyrs and general public even after six years. This prompted DHA to lodge a formal complaint against Kamran Kayani and Hammad Arshad with NAB.