ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has launched an inquiry against the senior special magistrate/deputy commissioner of Capital Development Authority (CDA) for alleged misuse of authority in the Built-up Properties (BUP) award of C-13.
In a letter sent to the CDA chairman, NAB stated, “the Bureau is conducting the subject inquiry under the provisions of National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, on the allegations of committing offence of misuse of authority by illegal award of Built up Properties in Sector C-13 of CDA”.
It said, “during the course of inquiry, it has been revealed that CDA acquired 740 Kanal, 01 Marla land in C-13 vide award dated Dec 12, 2008 and Built up Properties award was announced on August 17, 2013”.
NAB on July 25 sought details of the land acquiring order, complete details of award for acquisition of BUP, details of landowners along with their land prior to announcement of the award in 2008, record of price assessment committee meetings, geological/geographical mapping of C-13 and complete service profile of Sardar Asif Ali, DC CDA.
On June 7, the bureau had informed the CDA chairman about the inquiry and asked him to appoint a focal person for coordination and rendering assistance in procurement and perusal of the record.
The magistrate challenged the NAB’s inquiry in Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday.
The petition stated that the petitioner is a senior special magistrate and presides over a court of law. It said that the investigation agency cannot interfere in the decision passed by the magistrate and any such attempt was tantamount to interference in the judicial affairs.
A division bench, comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Arbab Mohammad Tahir, was scheduled to hear the petition. However, his counsel informed the bench on Thursday that the magistrate wanted to withdraw the petition against the inquiry.
Subsequently, the bench dismissed the petition.
It may be mentioned that the magistrate in October 2022 had leveled serious allegations against the senior hierarchy of the CDA in an application field in the IHC.
He had alleged that he was being forced to ‘extort’ money and that his court was being treated as “an automated teller machine (ATM)”.
He stated that being the presiding officer of the trial court of the CDA and MCI, he was adjudicating all cases related to the CDA Ordinance 1960, environment protection, land revenue and food quality laws.
He added that his court was “influenced and interfered unwarrantedly to hoodwink in the due process of law which is repugnant to the principle of natural justice”.
Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2024