ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Tuesday demanded of the National Accountability Bureau to explain its position on an inquiry into 1200 kanal of martyrs’ land allocated to JUI-F chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman and Federal Minister for Housing Akram Khan Durrani illegally during former military ruler Pervez Musharraf’s regime.
PTI anti-corruption cell head and member National Assembly Shafqat Mehmood asked the NAB to answer why it has scrapped the inquiry against Rehman and Durrani over the illegal allotment of 600 kanal to each in Dera Ismail Khan. He alleged that both had got allotted 600 kanal illegally through benami transactions.
Addressing a news conference at the National Press Club, Mehmood said that the NAB should explain its position how the land specified for the martyrs was allotted to the two.
In 2015-16, the inquiry against the JUI-F chief and the housing minister was closed and the apparent reason for this favour was Rehman’s closeness with the Sharif family, he said. He alleged that former chairman NAB Qamar Zaman Chaudhry closed the inquiry as he had closed also closed to the Sharif family.
Mehmood said that the NAB framed a similar case against former provincial minister Makhdoom Zada Mureed Kazim for illegal allotment of 150 kanal of martyrs and he was facing trial before an accountability court. “But why inquiry against Fazalur Rehman and Durrani was closed in a similar case,” he questioned asking the NAB to come clean on the issue.
Lashing out at the JUI-F chief, Mehmood said that his politics revolved around his own self and he got the seat of the Chairman Kashmir Committee only to gain perks and privileges. “Fazalur Rehman has failed to highlight the plight of people of Kashmir at international forums – the task for which he is being remunerated millions each year from the national exchequer,” the PTI leader said. He said that Rehman was holding the slot of chairmanship of Kashmir Committee for more than 10 years and the performance of the committee was very low.
Mehmood also alleged that Akram Durrani, who was among favorites of the JUI-F chief, had been misusing his authority while holding official positions. He said that according to the investigations carried out by some “institutions”, Durrani had amassed assets beyond known sources of income. He alleged that Durrani owned costly properties in KP and owned CNG pumps, farmhouses as well as several houses in Islamabad.
He urged the NAB to investigate the amassed wealth after Durrani held the public office. He said that some scams in the housing ministry, whose charge Durrani was holding, would surface in near future.
Responding to a question, Mehmood said that the PTI would continue to unveil corruption of the ruling elite. He maintained that it was the constitutional duty of the institutions to hold an inquiry into such matters. He said that NAB was functioning well under the incumbent chairman and the nation was eyeing on the institution to curb the curse of corruption.
Responding another question as to why the provincial anti-corruption departments of KP where PTI was the ruling party did not investigate the matter of illegal allotment of land, he said that NAB had first taken cognizance of the matter and it should take it to the conclusion.