MULTAN: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Multan, has arrested three proclaimed offenders who have been absconding since March 2016 in a housing colony fraud in Bahawalnagar.

Accused Shaoor Bashir, Ghafoor Ahmad and Rukhsana Manzoor, wanted in the Shaoor Town Housing Scheme scam, had been declared proclaimed offenders by the accountability court on March 16, 2016, says a NAB press release.

The scheme was to be developed in 2010 on 160 kanal land in Mauza Takhat Mahal Avtar, Bahawalnagar, by accused Shaoor Bashir, Ghafoor Ahmed, Rukhsana Manzoor and Chaudhry Ghulam Rehmani.

The accused had executed an agreement for the purchase of land with Waqas Khan, but after the mutation of 91 kanal land, the landowner stopped further mutation due to non-payment by the developers.

Investigation showed that the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) of Bahawalnagar had never issued mandatory NOC. The accused had submitted a layout plan of 225 residential plots and 100 commercial plots to the TMA which was neither approved nor any NOC was issued by the TMA.

During this process, the accused advertised the same plan and collected money from general public against sale/allotment of plots. The registration deed collected from the TMA showed that Ghulam Rehmani who was partner in purchasing land of the Shaoor Town was shareholder and a sponsor of one per cent while the remaining three were owners/shareholders of 99 pc property. Shaoor Bashir, Ghafoor Ahmed and Rukhsana Manzoor disappeared after collecting Rs85m from general public, without handing over possession of the plots.

Ghulam Rehmani did join the investigation but his liability would be determined after interrogation of the three accused.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2017