23 NAB inquiries still pending in courts

Cases include inquiries against MQM’s Kamran Tessori, various businesspersons

KARACHI: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) informed the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday that 23 inquiries and investigations involving over Rs2 billion had been pending in the province for the last five years due to various restraining orders passed by the courts.

The accused in these cases include businessmen, government officers and private persons.

This was revealed in a report filed by the national anti-graft watchdog's special prosecutor, Muhammad Iltaf. He informed the court that inquiries in four and investigations in 19 cases were pending.

The report revealed that an inquiry was initiated against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - Pakistan Deputy Convener Kamran Khan Tessori of the Tessori Trading Company into a Rs172.3 million default by the Statutory Regulatory Order under the guise of export of gold jewelry on February 22, 2007. However, the SHC quashed the investigation proceedings and prohibited NAB from initiating further proceedings. The bureau later challenged the order before the Supreme Court, where the matter is still pending, the report stated.



The bureau said an inquiry into Rs175 million relating to illegal allotment of land was initiated against the directors and chief executives of the M/s Lucky Cement Factory and Younus Brothers Group of Industries as well as officers of the land utilisation department on January 7, 2011.

It stated that the closure of the inquiry was agreed upon and sent for approval of the competent authority.

NAB had recommended the closure of an inquiry related to a Rs74.879 million scam in the food department under Section 9(C) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

The court had, however, declined to close the inquiry, which was initiated against 17 officers or officials of a wheat godown at Pipri on December 19, 2006. The bureau had challenged the accountability court's order in the SHC, where the matter was pending since August 2016.



The report also stated that an inquiry was initiated against Ameerzada Khan Kohati, a BS-19 officer and former project director of the Malir Development Authority, over illegal allotment and conversion of 170 acres of the amenity land through forgery in January, 2009. The inquiry against the accused was completed and recommended for closure to the NAB headquarters on June 12, 2014.

The report also stated that an inquiry into a Rs5.71 million scam of cheating the public in the name of the Garden City project was initiated against Tanveer Ahmed and others belonging to the Marry Land Builders and Developers on September 11, 2009. The report stated that 11 out of 29 affectees had been compensated so far and the builder was in process of settling the claims of remaining affectees.

Another inquiry into a Rs60 million fraud was initiated against officers of the National Bank of Pakistan on February 22, 2011. The private persons and businesspersons had availed Rs60 million financial facilities from the bank and opened inland LCs against fake security and documents.



The investigation was stopped under orders by the SHC, but re-activated on June 30, 2017.

The report further stated that investigation into illegal refund of sales tax to the tune of Rs278.857 million initiated against Raja Muhammad Zarat Khan of M/s Latest Fashion Stitching Factory and officers of the Federal Board of Revenue, on August 27, 2009, was one of seven references filed in the accountability courts in Karachi.

The same were withdrawn by NAB on August 13, 2008 in the light of the order passed by the SHC and another petition is still pending in the SC.