LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore Director General Ghulam Safdar Shah has said the bureau has expedited action against ponzi schemes and fake housing societies.

At an open hearing at the NAB Lahore headquarters on Saturday, the DG met with the affectees of Bahria Cuisine, Blink Capital Investment (BCI), Al-Rehman Garden Phase-IV, New Lahore City, Al-Jalil Garden, Khayaban-e-Ameen Housing Society, Grand Avenue Housing Society, Pak-Arab Housing Society and Omega Residencia. He assured them of redressal of their grievances and issued on-the-spot directives.

In response to the complaint of Bahria Cuisine scandal, he ordered the retrieval of all related FIRs from CCPO Lahore office registered against the accused for further action. Instructions were also issued for publishing public notices regarding Bahria Cuisine scandal. Complaint verification proceedings against Bahria Cuisine’s management had been officially initiated, he said.

For the complaints against New Lahore City, the DG directed that each affectee be addressed individually and progress reports should be submitted to him during the upcoming week. He said that if progress could not be observed before the upcoming open hearing, the society’s management must be summoned to face the victims directly. “No affectee should have to run from one office to another seeking justice,” he said.

Addressing complaints related to Khayaban-e-Ameen Housing Society, the DG conveyed Chairman NAB’s directive that victims who paid over 50pc of the total amount would be eligible for recovery worth three times the paid amount.

In response to concerns raised by victims of the Grand Avenue Housing Society regarding delays in recovery and refund, the DG called for a comprehensive briefing on the progress made on auction of surrendered properties of the accused. He said that NAB Lahore was committed to ensuring prompt recovery by auctioning the confiscated assets of the perpetrators.

For Al-Jalil Garden, the DG demanded a detailed briefing on ongoing investigations and refund-related difficulties being faced by the victims. For Al-Rehman Garden Phase-IV, he said the investigation was near completion, with major developments expected soon.

Addressing the participants, Mr Shah reiterated NAB’s stance on adopting a zero-tolerance policy against culprits involved in defrauding general public.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2025