KARACHI: An accountability court on Saturday repeated non-bailable warrant for arrest of Zain Malik in a case pertaining to the alleged illegal amalgamation of commercial land for a multistorey building of the Bahria Town in Karachi.

Zain Malik, son-in-law of the real estate tycoon Riaz Malik, former Karachi nazim and Pak Sarzameen Party chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal, former Karachi district coordination officer Fazlur Rehman, former executive district officer Iftikhar Kaimkhani and others are facing trial in the case.

On Saturday, the matter came up before the accountability court-IV judge, Suresh Kumar, when Mustafa Kamal and other suspects, who are on bail, appeared before the court.

However, Zain Malik was absent. His defence counsel Amir Raza Naqvi told the court that his client was in the United Kingdom for his medical treatment.

Ex-Nazim, officials also face trial for ‘illegal’ amalgamation of commercial plots in Clifton

The investigating officer (IO) Abdul Fateh was supposed to file a compliance report regarding execution of non-bailable warrant for arrest of Zain Malik issued by the court in the last hearing.

However, National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Special Public Prosecutor Shahbaz Sahotra told the court that Mr Fateh was unable to appear before the court to submit the compliance report.

The judge asked the prosecutor to submit the compliance report showing whether arrest warrant for Mr Malik had been served on him through the UK embassy or not.

The prosecutor requested for time to enable the IO to appear before the court in the next hearing and submit the compliance report.

However, the judge repeated non-bailable warrant for arrest of Zain Malik, directing the IO to arrest the absconding suspect and produce him before the court on the next date of hearing. The IO was told to submit a compliance report in this regard on Oct 9.

In June 2019, the court had admitted the reference filed by NAB against Mustafa Kamal, Fazlur Rehman, Iftikhar Kaimkhani, then district officer Mumtaz Haider, the then additional district officer Syed Nishat Ali and the then sub-registrar-II, Clifton, Nazir Zardari.

The reference also nominated as accused five builders — Zain Malik, Mohammad Dawood, Mohammad Yaqoob, Mohammad Irfan and Mohammad Rafiq — all associated with M/s D.J. Builders and Developers.

NAB alleged that Zain Malik and others associated with D.J. Builders with connivance of Mustafa Kamal, the then DCO Rehman and others unlawfully got transferred 102 stalls/shops in favour of Bahria Town Private Limited through a conveyance deed without obtaining permission from the Karachi Development Authority.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2020