ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: The investigations initiated by the National Accountability Bureau against the former chairman of Evacuee Trust Property Board, Lt Gen Javed Nasir, who has allegedly swindled Rs3 billion have lately been put off for “unknown reasons,” a NAB official said.

“Yes investigations were going on against Mr Nasir but no case was pending against him,” a colonel at NAB’s office in Lahore told Dawn by phone.

The colonel did not comment on the reports that Mr Nasir had slipped out of the country after pocketing a sum of Rs3 billion in several shady land deals of EPTB. However, a NAB official at the headquarters here denied that Mr Nasir had left the country.

The official could not give any reason why the investigations against Mr Nasir had been put off and not pursued by the Accountability Bureau as it had been doing in the cases of corruptions against opposition politicians particularly former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and her spouse.

The NAB official also refused to disclose the nature of investigation pending against Lt Gen Javed Nasir who was also the head the country’s prime intelligence agency during the tenure of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Political parties had expressed their condemnation over the government’s attitude towards the corruption rampant in other state institutions.

“This has shown once again that the serving and retired officers of army have been kept beyond the preview of accountability,” PPP spokesman Farhatullah Baber said.

The reports that government was turning a blind eye towards the corruption of Mr Nasir in his capacity as the chairman of ETPB has exposed the accountability drive of the present government.

“It is now clear that the on-going process is political motivated aimed at keeping political opponents out of election contest,” he added.

The PPP which had been facing brunt of accountability would lodge a formal complaint with the NAB chairman Munir Hafeez to investigate this scam and apprehend all those involved in it irrespective of their rank or position.

Mr Nasir who after his retirement from service had been appointed as the Chairman of Evacuee Trust Property Board reportedly made 20 land deals.

In one deal of five kanals and 16 marlas of land on main Ferozepur Road Mr Nasir siphoned off over Rs4 million as the land was sold at a throw away price of Rs348,000 against the market price of Rs4.5 million.

In another deal of land in Karachi, a plot of market value of Rs267m was sold at Rs5.6m.

Mr Nasir who had relinquished the charge of ETPB on July 16, 2001 on being denied the extension allotted 916 kanals of land in Lahore to 11 different persons causing an estimated loss of Rs243 million.

Another plot of 48 canals on Super Highway Karachi was disposed of by him at Rs48m against its actual price of Rs240m.

The saga of land deals of Mr Nasir did not end here, in yet another deal of 100 kanals on main Raiwind Road Lahore, he made over Rs40m as the plot was sold at Rs46m whereas it market price was Rs90m.

A piece of land between Lahore Airport and Defence Housing Society was sold for Rs8.01m. At the time of deal it carried a market price of Rs91.85m.

Mr Nasir also made huge amount of money in leasing out PASSCO godown in Lahore and in construction of ETPB complex and Trust Plaza here in the federal capital.

In serious misappropriation in the construction of ETPB complex the former chairman caused a loss of Rs320m in the civil works alone.