Abuse of authority: KMC lands director, deputy suspended over land scam

Anti-corruption establishment arrests four KDA officials

KARACHI: Commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, after assuming charge as the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) administrator, suspended the director and deputy director of the land department on Thursday over allegations of fake allotments of land by issuing fake lease orders.

The KMC spokesperson said that the land director, Wasim Ahmed, and his deputy, Aslam Shaikh, had allotted the land in Ibrahim Hyderi in return for huge sums of money.  "After taking action against these officers, the commissioner, who has been given the charge of KMC administrator, has ordered an impartial inquiry into the matter," said the spokesperson.

Arrests

Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Establishment Sindh, Karachi, arrested four officials of the Karachi Development Authority and registered cases against them. According to the Anti-Corruption Establishment Sindh director, Ghulam Hussain Memon, these officials were allegedly involved in the illegal allotment of plots and misuse of power and authority.

He added that FIR No.24/2015 has been registered against the officials, identified as Shakir Hussain, Uzair Ahmed, Muhammad Hanif Khan and Shahabuddin, who are now in the custody of the anti-corruption officials.

Memon also revealed that the Anti-Corruption Establishment, Shikarpur, had registered FIR No. 02/2015, against an accused, Allah Dino son of Amir Bux Lakho, a store incharge of Civil Hospital, Shikarpur, for embezzling funds at the health facility. "They purchased medicines on exorbitant rates and misappropriated millions of rupees with the help of other staff of the hospital," director said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2015.