LAHORE: Former chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board Asif Hashmi has been arrested in Dubai for his alleged involvement in a ‘shoddy’ land deal with the DHA, Lahore, causing a loss of over Rs1 billion to the national exchequer.

Hashmi has reportedly been arrested by the Dubai police, which handed him over to Interpol.

A source in the Federal Investigation Agency headquarters told Dawn that it had written to Interpol about the details of Hashmi’s arrest. He said Hashmi was facing a number of other cases besides the ETPB-DHA deal. “Once he is brought here he will face some cases pending with the FIA,” he added.

The FIA had launched an investigation into the land deal on the orders of the Supreme Court over two years ago.

According to FIA’s findings, the DHA had acquired ETPB’s 843 kanals located in Mauza Mota Singhwala and Mauza Lidhar (where phase-VI of the DHA has been developed). The ETBP, under the chairmanship of Asif Hashmi, had allegedly agreed to receive 25 per cent of the ‘undeveloped’ plots, instead of 33pc, thus benefiting the DHA.

Later, the DHA had agreed to revise the deal agreeing to develop 33pc of the plots and not receiving development charges from the ETPB in order to compensate its loss.

Earlier, in his petition to the Lahore High Court, seeking withdrawal of red warrants against him, Hashmi said in the final challan that nothing against him had been established.

“In its meeting held on April 16, 2009, the ETPB board had approved and recommended the transfer of land with 25pc exemption plots instead of 33pc and final approval was accorded by then joint secretary and secretary minorities. Therefore, loss of ETPB on expenditure earlier claimed by DHA from ETPB for vacation of Dera Chhal land worth Rs18 million stands recovered.

“Likewise, compensation of Rs657.77m from the DHA to private investors for taking possession of the land will not be claimed from ETPB nor development charges of Rs287m will be claimed,” Hashmi said.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2016