HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) Chief Town Planner and former HDA director-general (DG) Iqbal Memon along with deputy director of HDA’s planning and development control department Abdul Manan Sheikh were arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) authorities on Wednesday evening, NAB sources and family members confirmed.

The arrests were made in connection with allotment of 2,800 acres of land by HDA to a private party.

The NAB also wants to interrogate HDA DG Noor Mohammad Leghari, who is also secretary of the local government department, in connection with the same inquiry.

NAB’s investigating officer (IO) Amir Butt had reportedly called Memon, Sheikh and Leghari for inquiries in Karachi. While Leghari was in Islamabad and could not appear before the IO, Memon and Sheikh reached Karachi and were arrested.

Memon is already on pre-arrest bail in connection with an identical reference against them, involving land of Railway Employees Housing Society. A, former HDA DG, Ghulam Mohammad Qaimkhani, was also arrested and sent to prison in connection with society’s scam.

He later obtained bail.

Iqbal Memon’s counsel, Ishrat Lohar, confirmed that his client was arrested in respect of 2,800 acres of land in Gulistan-i-Sarmast Zone of the HDA.

The counsel said that he had previously appeared before the NAB inquiry officer, but today he (Memon) and Sheikh went to appear again. Memon had already submitted his statement regarding an inquiry in December last year, he added.

Memon has remained the HDA DG on an ad hoc basis after the Sindh government removed Ghulam Mohammad Qaimkhani from the post. Leghari is currently holding the charge of DG and it was in his tenure that 2,800 acres land was given to a Karachi’s firm for development purpose.

The HDA is not able to ensure development of 2,000 acres of land under its Gulistan-i-Sarmast scheme out of total 5,000 acres given to the HDA by the Sindh government. People have invested millions of rupees in the scheme, some say billions, but the scheme is yet to be fully developed. It is the same area where real estate tycoon Malik Riaz is building Altaf Hussain University after what he says purchasing land from the HDA at market price.

Outgoing Deputy Commissioner Fayyaz Jatoi had told the HDA in clear terms last year that the HDA had only paid the cost of 1,200 acres of land out of the 5,000 acres. He had sent a reply to DG Leghari who wanted him to confirm title of the land. The HDA had allotted 2,800 acres of land to a company of Karachi reportedly to benefit some powerful quarters without getting it approved from the HDA’s governing body. Outgoing Hyderabad Division Commissioner Asif Hyder Shah has also expressed reservations over such allotment.

The HDA claims that it is developing land on a deferred payment basis. The payment is to be made to the Sindh government. For this 2,800 acres of land, the HDA had provided facilities to the firm on several accounts.

The HDA has not had a full-fledged DG for a couple of years as the Sindh government continues to run its affairs on an ad hoc basis. It was supposed to appoint a DG through competitive process.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2016