ISLAMABAD: With direct orders from the Supreme Court, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) released a statement on Monday stating that formal investigations against Bahria Town Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi had been officially launched by the watchdog.
On May 4, the Supreme Court, in three different verdicts against the real estate empire, declared the procurement of land by Bahria Town, for its housing projects in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Murree, “null and void,” noting that significant transfers and allotments of land to each project had taken place illegally. Subsequently, the apex court ordered NAB to file references against the individuals responsible for the transfers and to take action against them within three months.
Chairman NAB Javed Iqbal directed the relevant authorities to complete their investigation within the specified period, in line with the court’s directions.
In response to queries by local media, NAB explained that its investigation in the New Murree Development Scheme was already complete and that the new initiative was against Bahria Town Lahore, in which they were to investigate whether or not there were any irregularities in that project.
Previously, the apex court barred Bahria Town Karachi from selling or allotting land in the said project after declaring the allotment of land to the company by the Sindh government and a massive land swap with the Malir Development Authority (MDA) illegal.
“We are constrained to declare that the grant of the land to the MDA, its exchange with the land of Bahria Town and anything done pursuant thereto being against the provisions of COGLA 1912 (Colonization of Government Lands Act 1912) and statement of conditions are void ab initio and as such have no existence,” the court ruled. The court ordered the land belonging to the government, exchanged with Bahria Town, be given back to the government and vice versa.
The apex court also struck down a “mutual encroachment deal” between Bahria Town and the forest department where Bahria Town, in the Takht Pari area near Islamabad, was encroaching upon 1,170 kanals of forest land, while the forest department had “encroached” on an area measuring 765 kanals of Bahria Town, deeming it illegal and of no effect.
We declare that “the area of Takht Pari is 2,210 acres; that exchange of land purportedly encroached by Bahria Town and the forest department and attestation of mutations in this behalf being based on an erroneous assumption about the area is against the law and the record and as such of no effect and the order passed in S.M.C.No. 3 of 2009 is recalled.”
The court also took notice of the alleged irregular allotment of land to the Defense Housing Authority (DHA).
Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan — who headed the bench which heard the cases against Bahria Town — drew the attention of Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar to allegations of land being allotted to the DHA and many other societies on throwaway rates in contravention of the law. He further requested the CJP to take suo moto notice if the allegations proved true and to treat them alike.
Formal inquiry against Bahria Town projects launched — NAB
Formal inquiry against Bahria Town projects launched — NAB
- Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan — who headed the bench that heard the cases against Bahria Town — drew the attention of the Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar to allegations of land being allotted to DHA.
- The apex court also struck down a “mutual encroachment deal” between Bahria Town and the forest department where Bahria Town, in the Takht Pari area near Islamabad.
Thousands protest Slovak leader Fico over whistleblower office closure and penal code changes
- Rallies took place in 10 communities, including the capital, Bratislava
- Fico has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and people rally often to protest his pro-Russian and other policies
BRATISLAVA: Thousands rallied across Slovakia on Tuesday to protest the latest moves by the government of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico to dismantle an independent office that protects those who report corruption and other criminal activities and amend the penal code.
Rallies took place in 10 communities, including the capital, Bratislava, where the protesters at Freedom Square had a massage for Fico: “Resign, resign.”
Fico has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and people rally often to protest his pro-Russian and other policies.
This time, people were angered after lawmakers in Parliament loyal to Fico’s coalition government approved a plan to cancel the Whistleblower Protection Office last week despite critical responses to such a move at home and abroad.
In another controversial step, they voted to ban the use of evidence gathered from the suspects who cooperated with law enforcement authorities in exchange for a lower sentence. Such evidence cannot also be used if they lied in any other case.
A banner in the crowd read: “Fico’s government helps mafia.”
Michal Šimečka, the head of the Progressive Slovakia opposition party that organized the rally told the crowd: “Slovakia is the only country where the government approves laws to make life easier for criminals and mafia.”
“Shame, shame,” people chanted.
The opposition charged that the changes were designed to help a prominent ally of Fico, deputy speaker of Parliament Tibor Gašpar, who should face trial on charges of establishing a criminal group.
Protesters called on President Peter Pellegrini, usually an ally of Fico, to veto the changes. Pellegrini has to sign the legislation to become law, but the government has a majority to override it.
Fico’s critics claim that under his government, Slovakia is following the direction of Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
László Gubík, head of the Hungarian Alliance, a party that represents the 450,000 strong Hungarian minority in Slovakia, joined the anti-government protest for the first time.
