LAHORE   -   The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore held a monthly open court (khuli kachehri) session under the supervision of its Director General Amjad Majeed Aulakh. The session was attended by 200 victims of fraudulent housing schemes and public scams. Participants included affectees from various housing societies and real estate projects, such as Prime Zone, Fario Real Traders, Bold Vision, Omega Housing Society, Khayaban-e-Amin Housing Society, Qasim Garden, New Lahore City, and Grand Avenue Housing Society. During the session, the DG engaged with the complainants and highlighted significant measures taken by NAB in the housing sector, such as implementing a new policy requiring housing societies under RUDA to issue secure allotment papers provided by the Punjab government instead of printed forms. He also ordered the creation of WhatsApp groups to keep victims informed about case progress. Society officials were directed to address refund requests immediately, and victims with fully paid plots and flats were assured possession of developed units. In the case of Khayaban-e-Amin Housing Society, NAB Lahore has facilitated the return of plots and flats worth millions of rupees to 400 victims under its supervision.

Additionally, 75 percent of the society’s construction work has been completed with NAB’s monitoring, and a formal policy for canceled plots and flats is under development. For Grand Avenue Housing Society, 40 percent of victims’ claims have been recovered and returned. However, despite four attempts to auction the society’s properties, challenges remain, and a fifth auction committee is being formed to ensure property sales benefit the victims. In the Fario Real Traders case, transferred from NAB Karachi to Lahore, 894 claims have been received, and 100 victims have been issued call-up notices.

All suspects are on the Exit Control List (ECL), with efforts underway to repatriate absconding individuals and collect details of their assets.  

The DG said that the Prime Zone case is nearing completion, with the investigation finalized and ready for court submission. NAB has engaged Interpol to repatriate the main fugitive, Imran Ali, who has been declared a proclaimed offender.  For Qasim Garden, complaints involving less than 100 victims were forwarded to the LDA and Punjab Police for further action.  

He told that NAB Lahore has successfully addressed the grievances of 15,500 victims this year, recovering significant losses. He emphasized that open courts aim to reduce the gap between the public and NAB while ensuring swift action on complaints. He emphasized that NAB remains committed to safeguarding public interests and ensuring accountability within the housing sector.