RAWALPINDI: Senior officials of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) on Saturday sought pre-arrest bail as they have been nominated as co-accused in the FIR registered against a local leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) former Senator Chaudhry Tanveer Khan.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Friday night arrested the PML-N leader in Karachi in connection with illegal real estate project. The case was registered by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Punjab with the FIA on March 8 on the complaint of RDA Director General Ammara Khan.

ACE registered the FIR against Chaudhry Tanveer, RDA’s director Jamshaid Aftab, deputy director Samiullah Niazi, scheme superintendents Rana Mohammad Tariq and Shafqat Mehmood, assistant director Shahzad Mehmood, building superintendents Shafiqur Rehman and unknown revenue officials and RDA staff.

Case was registered by ACE, Punjab against former senator Chaudhry Tanveer Khan

According to advocate Kashif Ali Malik, counsel for the accused officers, the bail petitions could not be taken up since special judge of the Anti Corruption Court was on leave.

Chaudhry Tanveer had been abroad for over a couple of years and recently came to Pakistan to attend wedding ceremony of his son.

He was arrested while boarding a foreign airline flight for the United Arab Emirates on Friday night.

It stated that the case for approval of two commercial real estate projects Wallayat Complex and a Town Centre Scheme, was submitted in RDA on Aug 31, 2009 for an area measuring 199.5 kanals in Mauza Kotha Kalan (adjacent to Bahria Town).

The layout plan (LOP) was approved in three phases during 2011 and 2012.

The complainant further stated: “It was, however, observed that the estate developer has violated the approved LOP” including construction of two storey school building on land meant for overhead water tank, besides converting amenities land of park, mosque and community centre into commercial plots, where unapproved construction was carried out.”

The FIR accused the ex-Senator of occupying a portion of land belonging to the government in Rawalpindi. The former senator, the Anti-Corruption Establishment, Punjab, alleges, has constructed a house, commercial buildings and wedding halls and marquees on the encroached land.

The RDA officials contended in the bail petitions that the FIR did not attribute any role of the accused persons in commissioning of crime. It further stated that the ACE’s FIR was based on the complaint of the RDA, however, instead of appreciating the role of the officials who cooperated with the investigation agency, they have been nominated as accused in the case.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2022