LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore on Thursday initiated a probe into the affairs of a number of housing societies on public complaints.

NAB Lahore Director General Shahzad Saleem held a second public hearing at the bureau’s provincial headquarters at Thokar Niaz Baig where more than 250 people submitted their complaints against the housing societies, the Lahore Development Authority and some officials of government departments.

Like the first public hearing, most of the complainants were the affeetees of housing societies, including the Elite Town, Eden Housing, Shujah Town, Formanites Housing Scheme, Khyaban-i-Amin, Model Housing Enclaves and Awan Enterprises. NAB summoned the owners of the Khyaban-i-Amin next Thursday to meet the affectees.

The affectees of housing societies said they had deposited almost full amount against their plots/houses several years ago but they were still not handed over the plots.

“I had paid 75pc amount against a five-marla house in Khyaban-i-Amin in 2012 according to the agreement (with it) but till date, despite a passage of more than five years, the scheme has not handed the house over to me,” a complainant said.

The affectees of other housing societies had similar complaints.

The NAB DG assured the complainants action would be taken on their applications and their grievances would be redressed at the earliest. They were also informed about NAB’s action against certain housing societies on other complaints.

Earlier, NAB had directed the Eden Housing Society to hand over houses/plots to all affected persons by March 31 or face action.

A representative of the society informed NAB on Thursday that over plots/houses had been handed over to some 80pc affectees. However, the housing society was asked to address the grievances of all the complainants or face action.

NAB recently constituted a committee that included regulator and town administration representatives to deal with frauds in any housing societies.

ARRESTED: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) cyber crime wing has arrested two suspects for blackmailing different persons.

The agency arrested Burhan Bhatti in Wapda Town for his alleged involvement in exploitation of a teenager. The suspect, through a dating website, had got an offensive video of the complainant and blackmailed him. Another suspect, Hamza Aslam of Marghzar Colony, had blackmailed a woman after making a video clip of her. He extorted Rs400,000 from her. The suspects have been booked under the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act (PECA).

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2018