NPF land scam: Musharraf among recipients in police housing scheme

The foundation incurred a loss of Rs6 billion because of plot misappropriation.

LAHORE:

The names of former president Pervez Musharraf, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz and former chief justice Supreme Court Shiekh Riaz Ahmad are among several other high-profile officials who got plots allotted at discounted rates in the National Police Foundation (NPF) Cooperative Housing Scheme, The Express Tribune has learnt.

A report, which is likely to be presented before the Supreme Court on July 26, showed that former president Musharraf obtained one plot, while the former prime minister was allotted three. Former Supreme Court chief justice Shiekh Riaz Ahmad was allotted two plots, while two former federal interior ministers obtained more than 15 plots.

The Express Tribune learnt that the plots allotted were later sold by the recipients at inflated prices which indirectly dealt a huge loss to the NPF.

The former NPF Managing Director (MD), also former IG Punjab, Khalid Farooq has also been mentioned amongst those who obtained plots in the housing scheme. He secured two plots, while NPF Deputy Director Khuda Bakhsh secured 13 plots. Director Housing Laeq Ahmed obtained five and Additional Director Abdul Mannan secured six plots.

To top it off, 11 high-valued plots at the housing scheme were illegally allotted by Farooq on his last day as Managing director of NPF to police officials at extremely discounted rates. Even though the plots were allegedly allotted on Farooq’s last day as managing-director, the date on the paperwork for the plots shows the date of May 5, 2010. However, the signatures of Farooq or any other NPF official were not dated on any of these documents.

Meanwhile, Islamabad police have changed their stance for the third time in a row regarding the registration of criminal cases against PML-N MNA Anjum Aqeel Khan, two former Inspector generals’ (IGPs) and three other former NPF officials. The officials have been accused of causing NPF a loss of Rs6 billion due to the misappropriation of properties, The Express Tribune learnt.

Islamabad Police has taken stance that this scandal  involved former federal government servants who served in the NPF which was under the control of the interior ministry.

According to law, only FIA or NAB can investigate, register cases and file references if the accused works for a federal department. Government servants working for provincial departments can be prosecuted by the Anti Corruption Establishment of respective provinces.

Islamabad police simply has no jurisdiction in this matter, a senior police official told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity.

Interestingly, the NPF managing-director had written a letter to the IGP Islamabad, encouraging him to register cases against the accused. But Islamabad police on June 24 refused to register a case, saying that PCA section 5(2)47 and PPC Section 406 don’t allow police jurisdiction and the case had been registered by a federal law enforcement agency (FIA).

Later on, Islamabad police went on to register a case without notifying the NPF managing-director and even arrest the accused, former NPF deputy director Khuda Baksh, despite declaring that the particular criminal sections were the exclusive domain of FIA.

PML-N MNA Anjum Aqeel Khan, who is allegedly believed to be a major beneficiary and the main accused in the NPF land scam, is still at large and Islamabad police has launched a man-hunt for him.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7^th, 2011.