Safa Gold Mall: NAB to file reference against ex-CDA officials, mall owner

They will be charged with abuse of authority and causing financial losses to the govt

The apex anti-corruption watchdog in the country on Tuesday decided to file corruption reference against several former officials of the civic authority and the owner of an upscale mall in Sector F-7 of the capital for causing financial losses to the government and for abusing their authority.

According to a statement issued by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the executive board of the anti-graft body met on Tuesday with NAB chief Justice (retired) Javed Iqbal in the chair.

The meeting deliberated on several corruption cases and ordered the filing of references, conducting of inquiries, investigations and complaint verifications against various people accused of corruption, abuse of authority and for garnering assets beyond known sources of income.



The board approved a corruption reference against several officials from the building control section of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) including its former deputy director general Ghulam Murtaza Malik, former director Khalil Ahmed, former deputy director Ammar Idrees, and former assistant director Khadim Hussein.

Apart from the former CDA officials, the reference also includes the name of Safa Gold Mall’s owner Rana Abdul Qayyum.

They have been accused of causing losses to the national kitty worth Rs1.07 billion owing to the illegal approval to build additional storeys    in the Sector F-7 mall by abusing their authorities.

Last March, NAB’s executive board had authorised a formal investigation into the affairs of Safa Gold Mall after the matter had been referred to the accountability body by the parliamentary Pu  blic Accounts Committee.



As the accountability body probed alleged corruption, the CDA board on November 14, 2017, cancelled the land lease of the mall for building code violations — particularly the construction of an additional floor while failing to pay the millions owed to the CDA. The civic authority had also recommended disciplinary action against officers of the civic body who approved building plans for the mall in violation of the allowed FAR.

Late last year, CDA cancelled lease of the mall, NAB arrested the five former CDA officials and the owner of the upscale mall on corruption and misuse of authority charges.

A month later, NAB ordered to freeze three floors of a popular shopping mall in the capital.

Second reference

A second reference is being filed against Tariq Hayat Khan, the former director general of the Galiyat Development Authority (GDA), and others for allotting precious land of the authority and causing a loss worth Rs90 million to the national exchequer. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2018.