KARACHI: Investigators of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) raided the offices of Karachi Development Authority (KDA) on Friday and seized the record of two different allotments of land, an official said.

“The team, led by two investigation officers, conducted a raid at the KDA offices in Civic Centre, checked the files and seized some relevant record,” he said.

“The NAB is conducting two different inquiries on complaints of illegal allotment of land by the KDA. Both inquires are at a preliminary stage and no arrest has so far been made in this regard.”

The fresh action by the NAB was seen as the first in recent days after the Sindh government approved the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 Repeal Bill 2017, curtailing powers of the federal body against provincial institutions.

However, strong protest from opposition parties, Sindh governor’s refusal to sign the bill and directives from PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to the chief minister convinced the authorities to revive the applicability of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, better known as the NAB law, in the province and the law department is now working on a draft law.

“In Sindh, the NAB is presently probing corruption charges against more than 60 bureaucrats and politicians, including Law Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, Faqir Dad Khoso, Sharmila Farooqi, Sharjeel Memon, former chief secretary Siddique Memon, Aijaz Chaudhry, Board of Revenue’s former member Shazar Shamoon, secretary Badar Jameel, Ali Ahmed Lund, water board’s managing director Hashim Raza Zaidi, former education minister Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq, MNA Mir Munawar Talpur, MPA Ali Mardan Shah, former Karachi administrator Rauf Akhter and intermediate board’s former chairman Anwar Zai,” said another official.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2017