ISLAMABAD, June 16: PPP Senator Enver Baig has alleged that the government has not signed any agreement with Daimler-Chrysler or the London taxis about setting up a cab manufacturing plant, but is supporting a land mafia led by US nationals to grab expensive land in Karachi and Lahore in the name of investment. “I have checked with the German embassy early this morning and they said they don’t know anything about the $5.8 billion Daimler-Chrysler investment in Pakistan. Similarly, the government does not posses any proof which could show that Dawood Khan, a US national, has entered into an agreement with the London taxis to instal their manufacturing plant in Karachi,” Mr Baig said at a news conference at the PPP media centre here on Friday.

The PPP senator challenged the government to make public any document about such an agreement by ‘tomorrow’.

He alleged that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had signed the black cab contract on ordinary papers while presiding over the Economic Coordination Committee meeting after receiving a phone call from an influential personality and had not even seen the documents relating to the agreement between Dawood Khan and the London taxis.

He warned the government against supporting the land mafia as these scams could lead to arrests of some people.

The PPP, he said, would move the court of law and the National Accountability Bureau against the land grabbing deals.

He said that according to his information, 800 acres of land in Gharo, near Karachi, had been provided for the black cab plant and not 300 acres as stated by Minister of state for Privatisation and Investment Umar Ahmed Ghumman.

Similarly, 1,200 acres of public land on Motorway (near Shaikhupura) was being acquired for Daimler-Chrysler’s manufacturing plant. The government was acquiring land from people at much below the market price.

The senator said that Mr Ghumman himself had said at a news conference that he was a US citizen and had not gone even once to his constituency (Sialkot) since he won his seat for the National Assembly and that he would quit politics the moment Gen Pervez Musharraf left.

“Can anyone imagine how big a land scam is this keeping in view the prices of land in Karachi and Lahore? The government is supporting this land mafia in the same way it is supporting the stock exchange mafia who have inflicted billions of rupees losses on small investors,” Mr Baig observed.

He said Suzuki, which produced 20,000 cars every year, had installed its plant on 65 acres in Karachi, Toyota on 50 acres in Karachi and Honda on 65 acres in Lahore. “So, how come the government has provided 800 acres to the London taxis.

He said the advertisements which appeared in various newspapers for London taxis on June 7, included tailor-made specifications to make only Dawood Khan win the contract.

He said no party could meet the specifications and terms and conditions of the advertisements which also included acquisition of land in 15 days as the deadline for the deal was June 22.

“Mr Ghumman has himself accepted that Dawood Khan was very angry when advertisements appeared in the newspapers, which shows that the government had finalised the deal with him much before the advertisements appeared and Mr Khan considered it a violation of the agreement”, Mr Baig said.

About the Daimler-Chrysler investment, Mr Baig said that a man from the United Arab Emirates and a local partner, who were awarded the contract had signed no agreement about a joint-venture with Daimler-Chrysler. “Both persons were here to grab the land provided to them for the installation of a manufacturing plant.”