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ISLAMABAD: The Sindh government has allotted thousands of acres of government land to Bahria Town owner Malik Riaz, according to a report placed by the Pakistan Rangers during a meeting of the apex committee in May.
The Rangers told the committee that the provincial government had allotted 44,000 acres of government land to Bahria Town.
Military sources told Dawn that the meeting was held on May 14.
Sources told Dawn the land allotted to Bahria Town was along the Super Highway.
Although Dawn made repeated attempts to get in touch with Sharjeel Inam Memon, the provincial information minister, to obtain the Sindh government’s version, neither did he pick up the phone nor did he reply to the text message.
The housing firm has rejected the Rangers’ claim
On the other hand, Bahria Town flatly rejected the Rangers claim.
A letter issued on June 9 by the organisation’s corporate office in Rawalpindi to Maj Gen Bilal Akbar, Director General of Rangers, Sindh, said: “Not a single acre of government land has been allotted / purchased by Bahria Town.”
Rejecting the Rangers’ claim, the firm further stated: “The above figure of 44,000 acres is incorrect, baseless and frivolous.”
The real estate firm said it had purchased the land from private parties and paid all duties and taxes.
According to a report which Bahria Town recently placed before the Supreme Court, the real estate firm owns 40,000 acres land in different cities across the country.
A legal aide to Malik Riaz told Dawn that the Rangers information was incorrect. He speculated that someone might have passed incorrect information to Rangers. According to him, Bahria Town had purchased a total of 7,631 acres in Karachi to date.
A senior official of Bahria Town, retired colonel Khalilur Rehman, said the real estate firm had purchased the land from private owners at prices ranging from Rs850,000 to Rs 6,000,000 (six million rupees) per acre.
He confirmed that on June 9, the firm had written a letter to the Rangers Director General requesting “correction” of their record. However, Rangers have not replied to the letter so far.
Sources in Rangers said that any information meant for the Director General was first “tested and analysed” at different levels. “Only well-scrutinised information can be passed to the Director General,” one source added.
Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2015
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Comments (54) Closed
Jul 02, 2015 07:44am
That,s how you be comes billionaire overnight.
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Jul 02, 2015 07:56am
Personally, I think there has been so much talk about corruption but with minimal action. I would like to see where clear justice is served and be awarded due punishment without any favor. More than 1000 people died in Karachi and none of the institution has taken notice of it, or if noted, again no action is taken as result.
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Jul 02, 2015 08:09am
That is the truyh about connivance between Malik Riaz and Sindh government.
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Jul 02, 2015 08:10am
That is how Malik Riaz has become a tycoon.
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Jul 02, 2015 08:20am
What RANGERS got to do with government affairs...
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Jul 02, 2015 08:24am
What is this Rangers looking into land deals, do they have audit powers ???
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Jul 02, 2015 08:34am
Rangers need all the land they can get and more.
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Jul 02, 2015 08:44am
If Sindh govt of PPP is left for a year more under the auspices of Zardari the whole of Sindh would be named 'Bahria Town'. It is requested to everybody if they have a chance please don't shake hand with any of the higher cadre of the PPP otherwise count your fingers.
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Jul 02, 2015 08:48am
During PPP govt when Zardari as the president of Pakistan visited UK the other day the banner news in one of the newspapers was 'Mr PM ( David Cameron) count your fingers after hand shake with Zardari'.
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Jul 02, 2015 08:50am
OK maybe it wasn't 44000 acres but 43999 acres.
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Jul 02, 2015 09:14am
Now you know the reason behind the extraordinary extravagant Bilawal House in Bahria Town Lahore ............. !
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Jul 02, 2015 09:15am
Malik Riaz is the face of Bahria town but he has employed ex army personnel ( Colonels or brigadiers) to run the show in Isb Lhr and Khi. The ex army men are occupying various crucial administration positions within Bahria town. Every reader is mature enough to connect the dots. Sub ka sub he bigra hua hay yahan.
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Jul 02, 2015 09:18am
Yes the land was arranged for Malik by Zardari through his policemen that is open secret. The land was apparently purchased from the villagers living their from centuries! Yet Malik was unmindful that villagers were living on Government land and forgot to pay some negligible amount to government as well to legitimize his purchase! This Bahria town project at super highway is becoming water loo of Malik! Long live pakistan!
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Jul 02, 2015 09:20am
Sind Government sold it to a third party, not Bahria, and then Bahria bought it from that third party. So Bahria can deny that it was allotted the land by Sind Government.
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Jul 02, 2015 09:20am
Regardless the numbers everyone knows about the special relations b/w Zardari & Malik Riaz. Why Malik Riaz brought his investment to Karachi at a time when other investors are fleeing Karachi?
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Jul 02, 2015 09:22am
What is the truth ? Will we ever know? ?
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Jul 02, 2015 09:27am
Malik Riaz have partners from all institutions in his business as he is expert to make black money to white money......He is free from accountability...There are poor people who have no access to quality education, health,drinking water, security . On the other hand our leaders are selling our lands bit by bit..There banglows, bank balaces, businesses are the only development of country....we hate such politicians and leaders...
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Jul 02, 2015 09:34am
the question arises, who will come to live on 7,631 acres of land , purchased by bahria town, what is the cost of 7,631 acres of land, what was the revenues of bahria town, during the time period , when 7,631 acres of land was purchased.
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Jul 02, 2015 09:35am
How about my Investment in Bahria town:( I am overseas Pakistani?
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Jul 02, 2015 09:40am
A lot of talking is being done lately with respect to corruption and hardly any action against the big fishes. I personally think that if Rangers has been entrusted with the responsibility to clean the mess in Sindh then they should take action rather than just do the talking part. Don't know whether this is a deliberate attempt of the military establishment or a preplanned move.
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Jul 02, 2015 09:49am
Nothing will change in Pakistan.Mega corruption episodes are covered under other sensational news of calling Ghadars to each other.
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Jul 02, 2015 09:53am
Bahria Town is the only good thing happening in Pakistan development the rest of metro buses is just a drama.
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Jul 02, 2015 09:53am
So in future Rangers will be sitting on courts as well and making decision. Not a single institution or a person can work in our country within its domain.
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Jul 02, 2015 10:22am
It is so interesting that political parties and alleged mafia refused to commit crime and that is all they have to do. No justice, no inquiry no public outcry.
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Jul 02, 2015 10:29am
The Bahria town representative is correct. The figure is not right. The correct figure may be 39,999 acres. The big question remains if there will be a real accountability for the first time in Pakistan. Let us see....
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Jul 02, 2015 10:31am
Day in and day out media keeps on trumpeting cases of massive corruption and nepotism and what not. At the end of the day everything fizzles out into nothingness. People are gifted only with a huge sense of frustration. Final outcome is people are losing faith in the only institution having credibility that is Military/Rangers. If a nation can get used to thuggery at the highest level than there is no such thing left as future left.
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Jul 02, 2015 10:48am
I would like to know who allotted land to DHA City just next to Bahria Town Karachi.
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Jul 02, 2015 11:01am
Sadly nothing will happen. This precisely is the agony of Pakistan. The big are just one family. I am not sure but perhaps it trade off for the Bilawal House at Lahore and other properties across Pakistan.
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Jul 02, 2015 11:38am
Only DHA is allowed to build housing societies on free govt land and reap billions. Anyone who dares to do so will be eliminated.
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Jul 02, 2015 11:41am
wo wo wo, someone took the bold step here.
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Jul 02, 2015 11:58am
Malik Riaz is the need of the country. Housing is one of the biggest need of the hour. If Govt. can't play any positive role in this regards, at least they shouldn't stop these realitors.
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Jul 02, 2015 12:03pm
rangers are not idiots to put allegations on anyone without proofs. first time someone is candidly surfacing the open secrets which everyone knew but dare not to to speak. Kudos to Rangers. May God help u in cleaning these menaces from our beloved country.
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Jul 02, 2015 12:22pm
Why do rangers claim these things when nothing is to be done. Ask all those who were forced by the government to sell their Karachi lands to Malik Riaz and they will tell you how an acre of their land was bought for rupee 42000 and then signed as a million rupee purchase.
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Jul 02, 2015 12:27pm
Very good show, Rangers. Reveal the details and confiscate the land. Salams
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Jul 02, 2015 12:47pm
@Abdul : Sindh Govt is not a personal property that they can gift anything to anyone just because of under the carpet relations.
Everybody knows who gifted Bilawal House to Zardari. Why gift exchanged to these Don's not to common man.
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Jul 02, 2015 12:49pm
Well done Rangers! Soon all political parties eg PPP and MQM as well as Malik Riaz like tycoons will be against you. But people of Karachi are with you!
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Jul 02, 2015 01:07pm
This rise of Malik Riaz and his business enterprise known as Bahria Town to become the largest player in the real estate development business in Pakistan is too fast and too soon, therefore is suspect. Rangers and judicial commission should be given the job of investigating for the purpose of verification. Generally, the practice and tradition pertaining to the allotment of the government owned land should stop. There should be no exceptions made for civil or military personnel. Civil and military agencies should set up welfare funds for their respective organizations. The government land is the public asset and the government is the trustee for its protection
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Jul 02, 2015 01:53pm
What is the link between Bahria Town and Terrorism. Rangers should not breach their mandate or they will lose their credibility in the eyes of the people. We should learn from the history and avoid repeating past mistakes or result will be the same again.
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Jul 02, 2015 02:09pm
Now its time to take action ......if this true must be bring sindh government accountable and the trial must be speedy
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Jul 02, 2015 02:13pm
I don't know where rangers and other investigators were when Bahria Town was advertising the Bahria Town Karachi Scheme. Why they did not raise these concerns early. People already invested their money in this project, and now they are putting all people under new trauma. Depressing!!!
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Jul 02, 2015 02:23pm
So who are these private parties that sold 44,000 acres to Bahria? I am sure they must own some launches and boats to take the money out of the country immediately after the deals.
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Jul 02, 2015 02:37pm
@Abdul
Rangers are doing a commendable job by unearthing wrong doings which is going on and the country is made bankrupt as a result. Billions outside Pakistan is the result of these wrong doing and corruptions.
We should appreciate and encourage Rangers to help us , people, get rid of the corruption and the corrupt.
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Jul 02, 2015 02:45pm
Corruption stories of PPP government will haunt us for many decades.
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Jul 02, 2015 03:01pm
@Abdul Kindly enlighten me as to what government are you referring to?
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Jul 02, 2015 03:01pm
The fact remains that the land is now with Bahria Town........it obviously was a two or even three step transaction and most likely the steps are presently in Dubai and Canada.
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Jul 02, 2015 03:02pm
Well, what can be said here, except the Rangers too are in the race to "buy" land. Well done Rangers.
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Jul 02, 2015 03:26pm
Rs. 850,000/- per acre in Karachi? Quite a fair deal it must have been.
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Jul 02, 2015 03:47pm
what is wrong in it other than Rangers?
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Jul 02, 2015 03:50pm
According to sources, in Rawalpindi/ Islamabad alone the real estate tycoon has grabbed about 100,000 Kanals of land on both sides of Swan River. The land so occupied has been regularized by adjusting the huqooq-e- shamilaat purchased from the poor residents of the area at a through away price ranging between Rs 5000 and Rs 25000 per Kanal. The land after investing some money on the development has been sold at very high prices in millions of rupees per kanal. The statement, of Bahria Town in the light of its history can not be trusted. This is an attempt to camouflage the real story.
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Jul 02, 2015 04:03pm
Figure provided by Rangers is correct. Further BTK will 100k acres in total.
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Jul 02, 2015 04:09pm
@Gul Pasha Terrorism has direct link with "money". Crime proceeds is used of these activities. BUT in here the case might be a bit different as this money (if it is there) will be used for political gains by supporting "armed gangs".
ATF & AML laws have been placed around the world to check this menace.
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Jul 02, 2015 05:04pm
This seems to be a fabricated story.
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Jul 03, 2015 12:15pm
Rangers is acting as NAB and FIA. Govt should close all such institutions and declare Rangers as the sole guar of country's all internal and external affairs.
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Jul 04, 2015 07:26pm
Sindh Rangers. Epic Move.
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