LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau headquarters has directed its Lahore office to hold a ‘fact-finding inquiry’ to ascertain why no complaint verification has been carried since 2007 (till date) against different housing projects of a leading builder.

In an official correspondence, the NAB (monitoring and complaint cell) has expressed surprise why the matter of Eden Housing Ltd has been kept into complaint verification (level) from 2007 to 2015.

The NAB headquarters has also sought explanation from the Lahore office and informed it that this matter is already under process for re-authorisation of inquiry at the headquarters.

The NAB says: “Questions are being raised upon its (NAB) credibility as numerous mega corruption (scams) are under scrutiny in the Supreme Court for not having been attended to since long.”

The NAB headquarters has also asked its Lahore region office to call officials of the CMP wing of LDA (Lahore Development Authority) in order to seek further information regarding the whole matter. Besides, complainants about the said housing group should be called in order to unearth any other “untoward development”.

The NAB headquarters says it has received a number of complaints, including that of overseas Pakistanis, alleging that they have made huge payments (Rs60million) to this housing group. “The purpose to move the instant file is the NAB Lahore letter dated July 2014 stating that NAB is conducting verification of complaints against the developers made by general public regarding delay in execution of development work and thus failing to handover possession of plots/homes by the management of the housing group.”

The NAB headquarters says the most glaring aspect of the reply of the NAB Lahore is “accordingly the matter was deliberated upon and it has been decided that the work being carried out by the housing group on the said projects/sites be monitored by the LDA being regulator to ensure timely completion of the projects...”

The NAB says the perusal of the complaints has revealed that though the subject schemes and projects started in 2007 to 2009, the NAB Punjab had already received “hundreds” of complaints against the housing group and its owner Dr Amjad. “Since it is an issue of approximately billions of rupees and simultaneously the complaints are covered under the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 - cheating public at large, efforts should be made to sort out the matter,” the NAB headquarters says and has expressed its wonder how “the NAB Lahore ignored hundreds of complaints/claimants against Eden Housing Ltd”.

Despite repeated attempts by Dawn, the housing group’s version was not forthcoming.

Last week a petition was filed in the Supreme Court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the NAB chief and some top government officials, including the Punjab chief minister’s principal secretary and private individuals, for allegedly misleading the court by submitting an incomplete list of mega scams.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2015

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