The victims of an ‘NGO embezzlement scam’ have written a letter to the chief justice of Pakistan for the recovery of millions of rupees that were taken from them by promising a lucrative profit.
Zafar Iqbal, submitted in his letter that former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Chaudhary Wajahat Hussain, the caretakers of Data Darbar and Bari Imam had been swindled by Naseer Janjua, Farah Arshad and Arshad Khan who started an NGO The Village Fund International for micro credit devoted to social development.
Iqbal alleged that the NGO had misled philanthropists and taken millions of rupees from them by promising that they would receive a lucrative return on their investment besides having helped the needy through micro credit. He said he also deposited Rs750,000 with the NGO and was appointed a centre in-charge. “I personally convinced dozens of people to invest with the organisation being unaware that there would be no return.” Iqbal said.
He said he had returned Rs500,000 to the investors from his own pocket was now struggling to make both ends meet. Iqbal wrote that some of the investors had committed suicide following their losses and several couples had separated over the issue. On behalf of the other investors, Iqbal submitted that over 200 people had deposited money with the organisation because he had convinced them to do so.
“I feel terribly guilty and I want this organisation to pay for cheating honest people,” he said. Iqbal said that he and several investors had tried to register an FIR against the NGO but that the police had refused to cooperate.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2011.
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