HYDERABAD: Officials of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday visited the Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) offices for a probe into the lands meant for Water and Sanitation Agency’s (Wasa) installations and establishment of the petrol pump of a former Sindh local bodies minister presumably on HDA’s land.

Wasa sources claimed that they also inquired from officers if the filling station located near Kotri Barrage on waterworks’ land was owned by former Sindh minister Jam Khan Shoro’s family. “They were told that the land of filling station doesn’t belong to the HDA,” said a source.

The sources pointed out that they were discussing 373 acres of land acquired by the HDA from time to time for different waterworks since the 1980s, including water storage lagoons, located in the village of Karan Khan Shoro. “The officials were informed that Karan Khan Shoro is an old village where lagoons were located,” said the source.

HDA director general Dr Badar Jamil Mandro was also present and he had also contacted former Wasa managing director Masood Jumani, who has already proceeded on pre-retirement leave for briefing the NAB. But the former MD was not available. “He [DG] wasn’t able to brief NAB officers,” said a source.

According to one source, the anti-graft body officials put some questions relating to Jam Khan Shoro, who is currently on pre-arrest bail after he was issued a notice for the inquiry. The Shoros are fighting a case of 30 acres of land. Jam’s father, Deedar Shoro, lost a case in a sessions court and he has challenged it in the high court.

NAB officers were told that out of 373 acres, 252 acres of land had been recorded in the HDA’s name in revenue record and entry of remaining land was pending with the revenue department. Some HDA sources claimed that the lands located in Deh Jamshoro had been encroached upon by private parties as the department administration failed to protect them.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2019