Land scam: Secret deal with ex-MNA appals top judges

Anjum Aqeel Khan agreed to an out-of-court settlement to avoid criminal charges; the matter was pending in court.

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court on Friday was appalled to know about a ‘secret deal’ between a real estate tycoon-turned politician and a government-run foundation in a billion-rupee-land scam case.

The three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, directed National Police Foundation (NPF) Director Tariq Hanif Joya to submit the documents of the deal between the ex-MNA and the foundation’s administration and adjourned the hearing till April 29.

According to media reports an ‘out-of-court’ settlement was reached between Anjum Aqeel Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, who is aspiring to win from NA-48 again, the NPF administration, the interior secretary, and the inspector-general of Islamabad Police in the land scam which resulted in losses valued at Rs6 billion to the NPF.

The bench took up the suo motu case, pending since 2011, after media reports surfaced that the NPF had signed a secret agreement with the former MNA absolving him from responsibility and dropping the criminal case against him.

The chief justice said some media reports had stated that the former MNA had been given a clean chit by the foundation, despite the fact that the matter was pending before the apex court.



Joya confirmed the existence of an agreement, but said no land had been given to him. Rather, a piece of land and some flats had been obtained from him to recover the losses he caused to the foundation.

The official said that in 2004, the NPF had purchased 608 kanals from Khan, who handed over all but 45 kanals despite receiving payment for the whole area.

He informed the court that before retiring on March 29, 2013, former NPF managing director Zahid Mehmood and other high-ups approved the agreement with the former legislator after an administrative subcommittee of the foundation concluded the matter could be resolved this way.

Under the agreement, the ex-MNA had to surrender 22 kanals to the foundation along with 16 flats in Khudadad Heights, a building owned by him near H-11, in lieu of the 45 kanals he owed the foundation.

Responding to a query, the NFP director said the Federal Investigation Agency had only dropped the criminal case against Khan on the foundation’s request.

Irregularities in allotment of plots

Chief Justice Chaudhry also observed that besides the issue of 45 kanals in 2012, a former managing director had informed the court that irregularities had been found in the allocation of plots.

The bench asked the NPF director to furnish the outcome of its inquiry regarding the allocation of more than one plot to high-ups and some civilians as the housing scheme was meant for police personnel.

Khan was arrested in 2011 in connection with the case but was later granted bail by a trial court. He was a sitting MNA at the time and did not relinquish his seat.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2013.