Files of 27 housing schemes in Jamshoro go missing

Many officers of Sehwan Development Authority are facing NAB inquiries

HYDERABAD: The Sehwan Development Authority (SDA), the Jamshoro district's development arm which has been facing several National Accountability Bureau (NAB)-led investigations, has disclosed that the entire record of some housing schemes has been missing. The authority's assistant director Muhammad Ashraf Suhag lodged an FIR on Saturday at the Jamshoro police station nominating another assistant director, Agha Amir Khan Pathan, in the case.

The FIR contains sections 381, which pertains to theft of office property, and 420 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Suhag complained that he was appointed on Pathan's post and, after assuming charge, he found that the files of 27 housing schemes were missing from the office.

The police have so far neither recovered the missing files nor made an arrest. Pathan, while talking to the media, denied that he has left his charge or that he is responsible for the missing files.



According to Pathan, he took a 15-day leave in August, suggesting that the files might have gone missing during his absence. "At least 13 officers of the SDA are facing NAB inquiries. [However, there is no inquiry against] me because I am not implicated," he said, alleging that the action against him is being taken on the instructions of SDA Director-General (DG) Muneer Ahmed Soomro.

Soomro, who has been nominated in NAB cases and was earlier removed from the post of DG, was given acting charge on July 24. In June 2016, the SDA had repatriated Soomro along with 11 other officers and staff to their parent department, the Hyderabad Development Authority, acting on the Supreme Court's 2013 order concerning deputation postings.

An SDA official, requesting anonymity, pointed out that the problems started after Soomro took charge as the DG. "The complainant [Suhag] is no less involved in the same activities as the accused [Pathan]," the official said. According to him, Soomro has also been posted in violation of the earlier apex court's and Sindh High Court's orders.



Soomro, who was not available for comments, had previously told a newspaper that before he took charge, the authority had illegally issued no-objection certificates to many schemes or without fulfilling the requirements for the issuance.