Former SBCA head encroached on amenity land: NAB

SHC told former SBCA DG, others illegally constructed on Neher-e-Khayyam land

KARACHI: A former director-general of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and other officials connived with a private builder to encroach upon and illegally construct on amenity land belonging to the city's oldest drain, Neher-e-Khayyam, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) disclosed before the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday.
A special prosecutor for the national anti-graft watchdog disclosed this in comments filed on bail applications of Riaz Abdul Razzak, Mumtaz Haider and others.



They had obtained interim pre-arrest bail from the high court anticipating their arrest by NAB.

The NAB prosecutor alleged that builder Razzak had illegally and unlawfully encroached upon drain's amenity land.
He stated that the builder had occupied and illegally constructed on the amenity land in connivance with former SBCA DG Manzoor Qadir alias Kaka and other officials.



It claimed that the accused persons had caused losses worth billions of rupees to the national exchequer through illegal encroachment of state land. Therefore, the anti-graft watchdog has filed a reference with the accountability court concerned against the builder, the former SBCA DG and other officials.

The prosecutor opposed the bail applications of the accused persons and pleaded to the court to dismiss the same.



After going through the report, SHC Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, who headed the bench, said, "It seems as if everyone makes hay while the sun shines". The lawyers representing the petitioners were not present. The bench directed the petitioners' lawyers to appear and make arguments on the bail plea within two weeks. It warned that the bail granted to the petitioners may be revoked if the lawyers failed to do so. The hearing was adjourned till a date that would be notified by the office.