LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau and Federal Investigation Agency will quiz former chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board and PPP leader Asif Hashmi in a number of inquiries against him after securing his custody from Interpol.

Hashmi was recently arrested by the Dubai police, which handed him over to Interpol.

The Interpol acted on the request of the FIA which had got issued his red warrants in over Rs1 billion ETPB-DHA deal.

FIA, NAB to grill PPP leader in land, housing, recruitment scandals

“Mr Hashmi will be handed over to the FIA after the Interpol meets some legal requirements,” an official in the agency told Dawn on Wednesday.

“In addition to the ETPB-DHA deal, the FIA will quiz Hashmi for irregularities in the civil works in Lahore, illegal appointments (in the board) and allotment of flats,” he said.

On the other hand, the NAB is probing Hashmi’s role in 800 recruitments in the board and its educational institutions ‘without merit’, out-of-turn promotions, allotment of some six bungalows and three plazas in the DHA, several flats in Lahore and some land in Nankana Sahib and Sindh allegedly in violation of rules.

“We will also interrogate Mr Hashmi once he is given in the custody of the FIA,” a NAB official said.

Some ETPB employees are reportedly upset over the arrest of Mr Hashmi as his ‘interrogation’ here may put their jobs at risk.

Sources said Mr Hashmi not only obliged the members of his party in recruitment in the board and the educational institutions under it but also some PML-N bigwigs.

Hashmi remained ETPB chairman between Dec 2008 and March 2013. Soon after completion of his tenure he left for Dubai.

The main case against him is the board’s shoddy deal with the DHA, Lahore. The DHA had acquired ETPB’s 843 kanals located in Mauza Mota Singhwala and Mauza Lidhar (where phase-VI of the DHA has been developed). The ETBP had allegedly agreed to receive 25 per cent of the ‘undeveloped’ plots, instead of 33pc, thus benefiting the DHA.

As the case landed in the FIA, the DHA agreed to revise the deal agreeing to develop 33pc of the plots and not receive development charges from the ETPB in order to compensate its loss which was approximately over Rs1 billion.

Hashmi had taken the plea that the entire ETPB board had approved and recommended in April 2009 the transfer of land with 25pc exemption plots, thus having the endorsement of the federal government which had also conducted a special audit of the board affairs twice during his tenure.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2016