Police Foundation land: Secret probe implicates MNA in Rs6 billion scam

Tribune

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentarian from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) made a fortune through fraudulent land deals with the help of senior officials of the National Police Foundation (NPF), Islamabad, documents with  showed.

A confidential inquiry report, which was submitted before Federal Interior Secretary Qamar Zaman Chaudhry earlier this month, said that a member of the National Assembly, Anjum Aqeel Khan, is involved in a six-billion-rupee land scam in which he was aided by four former NPF officials, including former managing director Iftikhar Ahmed Khan. Others named in the report are former housing additional directors Abdul Hannan, Khuda Baksh and Laeeq Ahmed Khan.

Before Aqeel won a National Assembly seat in 2008 on a PML-N ticket, he acted as a ‘broker’ for the NPF through his M/S Land Linkers. His job was to find land for the foundation’s residential colony.

The report alleges that Aqeel had hundreds of NPF housing colony’s plots allotted to his nominees without any formal agreement. The NPF allotted these plots in accordance with the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) 54:46 formula, which governs the affiliation of private land with government housing schemes.

According to the formula, a private landowner has to surrender and provide 46 per cent of his land for roads and streets. Aqeel was allotted 162 kanals of developed land and, as per this ratio, he has to provide 300 kanals. To date, he has provided only 71 kanals and he is yet to provide 229 kanals on account of affiliation of land and an additional 100 kanals on account of double purchase, the report says.

Now, however, Aqeel is accused of fraud as he has allegedly not transferred 329 kanals of land to the NPF. He is also facing charges of selling 39 kanals of land to the NPF a number of times.

Newly-appointed NPF MD Zafar Ahmed Qureshi, who also holds the dual charge of the chief of NPF, said: “I will look into the … matter and those found guilty will not be spared,” he said.

MNA Aqeel Anjum Khan, later, acknowledged that he had arranged the land on behalf of the NPF but denied causing any loss to the NPF or being part of any such scam. “I made deals with the NPF till 2002 but after that, I did not enter into any land deal with them,” he said.

Aqeel claimed that a NPF officer had demanded money from him but he had refused, following which this report was compiled against him. “[NPF Estate Director] Shahid Iqbal has himself given me a clearance certificate which establishes that fact that I do not owe anything to the foundation,” he claimed.

However, when The Express Tribune contacted Iqbal, he challenged the claim that Aqeel had been given a clearance certificate. He said that he had documentary evidence of the fraud committed by Aqeel in connivance with former NPF officials. He said he has already sent an inquiry report to the interior ministry.

The report says that under an agreement, Aqeel was purchasing land for NPF. On May 16, 2002, he requested affiliation of 75 kanals and submitted a list of 178 nominees. The NPF accepted the requested and allotted 41 kanals to 120 of his nominees. On August 25, 2003, he again requested affiliation of 60 kanals and NPF allotted 33 kanals to his nominees. However, to-date, he has not transferred any land to the NPF. He has not submitted any revenue papers or even a rough map of the land.

On April 29, 2004, Aqeel again requested for affiliation of 50 kanals without proper documentation and 40 kanals of developed land were allotted to his nominees.

Then, on September 9, 2004, Aqeel surrendered 20 allotment letters and requested the authorities for commercial conversion of the area for building flats.

However, he had surrendered only allotment letters since no land was available. But, the request was accepted and 48 kanals, which previously belonged to SSP Nawaz Kiani, former inspector general Chaudhary Manzoor and his wife, and other police officers, were allotted to Aqeel even though he had not asked or paid for it, and neither had he transferred it in the name of the NPF. This piece of land is currently worth Rs4 billion.

As per the NPF’s records, all four of Aqeel’s requests are on his letterhead. It says that Aqeel successfully sold these plots and made good money by “surrendering fictitious letters as a goodwill gesture” and even commercial areas were allotted on his letterhead to different parties.

Police get 6-day physical remand of Raymond Davis

SAMAA


LAHORE: Senior judge Mehr Zafar Iqbal Sayal handed over detained US national Raymond Davis to police for a six-day physical remand.

Davis,a  staff at the US consulate in Lahore, is facing charges of shooting two persons to death at Mozang market on Thursday.

He was brought to the court amid tight security arrangement.

Moreover, post mortem reports of three victims who were shot and ran over by Davis in a bizarre act of shooting and hitting were released today.

According to the report, Abdul Rehman suffered head and brain injuries after being hit by Davis’ vehicle, which caused his death.

Fahim received four bullets in his stomach, back, legs and head while the third victim, identified as Qamar, also received three bullets each in leg, back and waist.

The dead body of Abdul Rehman has been handed over to his family. Other two dead bodies will be also released anytime soon.

Police sure ENT specialist was shot by Lyari gangsters he refused to treat a day earlier

Tribune

KARACHI: Dr Imran Wasi, an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist at the Lyari General Hospital was being threatened by ‘gangsters’ a day before he was gunned down at Lea Market, officials revealed on Saturday.

Fifty-five-year-old Dr Wasi was shot dead when he was in his car heading to his clinic in Ranchore Line on Thursday. Two men on a motorcycle attacked him when his car slowed down. He was hit twice, in neck and shoulder.

“He was going to a private clinic after working at the Lyari General,” said a staffer, requesting anonymity. “A day before the incident, some gangsters had come to the hospital and one of them had a bullet injury in his neck. They asked Dr Wasi to treat him but the doctor refused, saying that he would never help ‘people like you’.”

Dr Wasi was an honest man who always preferred helping needy people and therefore, he refused to treat the injured gangster, the staffer said. When he refused, the gangsters warned him that they would kill him. “In my opinion, the same culprits are behind the killing.”

However, the suspects are unlikely to be arrested as there is no one ready to record any statement or appear in court against them, officials claim.

Meanwhile, case investigator Syed Mumtaz Hussain Shah said he has also heard of the scuffle between Dr Wasi and the alleged gangsters. “To proceed with the case, we need recorded statements and no one is cooperating. Everyone fears for their lives,” the officer said. “There is no doubt though that the gangsters are behind the killing as Dr Wasi was also shot in the neck like the injured gangster [symbolising revenge].” Everything in the case is clear but the police are investigating the case from all angles, said SIO Shah.

The police also found the body of the suspected gangster and later identified him as Asim Baloch.

Witnesses have also indicated that the gangsters were behind the killing. “The Peoples Aman Committee (PAC) [practically] run a government in Lyari,” claimed an elderly resident of the area. “Only the PAC or the gangsters can do anything in Lyari, otherwise, no one has the courage to come inside the area. There is zero street crime in Lyari as everyone fears the PAC.”

A shopkeeper, who witnessed the murder, reported that they had shot the doctor three times, but they missed once. “The suspects did not fear the police while they were shooting and escaping. They collected the empty shells from the crime scene before fleeing to the Jumman Shah Plot area,” he recounted. “If you know Lyari, you can easily understand that no criminal or resident can go to the Jumman Shah Plot area. That is the PAC stronghold.”

Interestingly, their motorcycle slipped and they escaped on foot. Dr Wasi’s family, however, do not suspect anyone. “What can we say about who was behind the killing,” said Irfan, Dr Wasi’s twin brother. “He never fought with anyone. So why would someone kill my brother?”

When The Express Tribune contacted the president of the PAC, Shahid Rehman, he said in response to the allegations that there was no such thing. He claimed that the Jumman Shah area borders Usmanabad and the criminals could have gone there.

Key Pakistani governor killed in shooting: police

AFP

ISLAMABAD — Salman Taseer, the governor of Pakistan's most politically important province Punjab, was assassinated by one of his bodyguards in Islamabad on Tuesday, apparently for opposing blasphemy laws.

Taseer was one of the most moderate political voices in the main ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP), which this week slumped into a major political crisis when its junior coalition partner walked out of the federal government.

He was outspoken against the Taliban and other Islamist militants hunkered down in the country's northwest, and which have made increasing inroads into Punjab in recent years, and most recently against controversial blasphemy laws.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the killer was a member of Taseer's own security team, who quickly confessed to the crime and who had apparently worked for the governor on five or six previous occasions.

"He confessed that he killed the governor himself because he had called the blasphemy law a black law," Malik said.

"He has confessed his crime and surrendered his gun to police after the attack," he told reporters.

The brazen daylight shooting came as wealthy Pakistanis and expatriates were enjoying a late lunch or afternoon coffee in nearby cafes.

Spent cartridges littered the road outside Kohsar market in Islamabad's upmarket F6 sector, just a short distance from where Taseer kept a home, witnesses said.

Local administration chief Amir Ahmad Ali said Taseer died in hospital after being wounded in the shooting in F6.

"I was in the market. I heard the gunfire and hit the ground," said Shaukat, 28, a terrified labourer.

"Later on, while running for shelter I saw a man in uniform being grabbed by police. Later on, police officials said he was the attacker."

Police and anti-terror forces surround the area and the market closed after the attack. A silver Toyota car with a flat wheel was parked on one side. Blood was smeared on the road in two places, said an AFP reporter.

Taseer was a leading moderate voice in the PPP, which is facing a major political crisis since losing its parliamentary majority on Sunday.

Taseer made his money as a chartered accountant, setting up consultancy firms and a brokerage house, and with investments in telecommunications, the media, insurance and real estate before going into politics.

He served as minister for industry and production under former military ruler Pervez Musharraf from 2007 to 2008.

He was a long-time member of the Punjab provincial assembly and appointed governor by the PPP-led coalition government in 2008.

Eight terrorists nabbed in Karachi: police

SAMAA


KARACHI: Eight terrorists of a banned militant outfit have been arrested in a raid from Karachi, police said Sunday. 

Acting on a tip off, police raided a house and apprehended eight activists of proscribed Jaish-e-Muhammad. The suspects are allegedly involved in murder of 12 persons. 

Police had announced prize money of 200, 000 to 500, 000 for informer these arrested terrorists.

DHA gang rape: Police arrest 4 suspects

The victims (faces hidden) exiting the Darakhshan police station on Monday. PHOTO

Tribune

KARACHI: Police officials have alerted security personnel deployed at the entry and exit points of the city to arrest those individuals who allegedly raped a girl.

Talking to Express News, DIG South Iqbal Mehmood said that the personnel have been provided with pictures of the accused. Police have also reportedly arrested four people who were involved in the crime. Investigation officer Ishaq Lashari says that the victim has identified one of those arrested as one of the attackers.

Updated from the print edition below.

DHA gang rape: Police question victim’s friend and party’s organiser

The Darakhshan police have started questioning a man identified as Lal Chand who allegedly organised a party that was attended by a young woman allegedly gang raped in DHA Sunday night.

The police are also questioning M, a friend of the victim K, who registered the FIR on Monday.

Clifton SP Tariq Dharejo told The Express Tribune that they made some headway with the help of the car’s tracker system and mobile phone call records. “I want to make it clear that there is no political gang behind the incident,” he said on Tuesday. “We also questioned the watchman of the apartment where Lal Chand resides and held the party and we are close to concluding the case.” He stressed that the police had not detained M, but were only questioning him.

Sources said that the police had acquired the phone numbers and vehicle registration number of the three to four men who rammed their car into the one being driven by K, who was accompanied by a friend S. The women’s car dived into a ditch, they were dragged from it, K was gang raped and they were later dumped in the area.

Dharejo said that they were working with information provided by the victim. They are investigating whether some fight took place at the party, prompting the attackers to follow the women after they left.

Sources in the police also said that there was intense political pressure on the case. According to a source, M gave the names of two men to the police — Vicky and Hashim — as the alleged perpetrators. Vicky, reportedly, has a number of powerful political backers and it is believed that the police are under pressure to remove his name from the investigation.

Police bias

However, the case has been embellished further. Overnight, new ‘details’ were added to the story by police officers. SHO Rana Amjad told The Express Tribune, “These girls were drunk. They said they stopped at [a restaurant] on their way back from the party, but we checked the CCTV footage of [the restaurant] and didn’t see them.”

The police also complained that the media circus that descended on the Darakhshan police station deterred them from doing their job. “It is a competition to see who can break the news first,” one officer remarked. “I told the media that they shouldn’t look for a Mukhtaran Mai in every rape case,” he said, referring to the prominent gang-rape survivor, educationist and human rights activist. “Yeh larkiyan Mukhtaran Mai nahi hain, yeh doosri maiyan hain!” [These women are no Mukhtaran Mai, they are just other mais.] Mai is an Urdu word that refers to a woman and can be used as both a derogatory or an honorific suffix.

Police officers have attempted to portray the women as call girls and cast serious doubts on their statements, despite the initial medico-legal report that verified that K had been raped and the fact that S’s injuries were severe enough to warrant 17 stitches.  The general assumption is that if the woman had a “bad character” it was acceptable to rape her.

Amjad said, “S and K were ‘known’ to the police in the area. There may be some complaints against S already; we are looking into the files. I think she is a dancer. We did not have any time to do this on Monday because we spent all day dealing with the media.” However, Chaudhry Amanat, an investigative officer at the Darakhshan police station, said, “This was just a doubt. No such case against S exists and the police don’t know either of the women.”

While the rape victim K and her friend S wanted to withdraw the complaint, Investigating Officer Ishaq Lashari said, “A complaint is not like ghar ka sauda [groceries] which you can return so easily. We will investigate this case and release details as we get them.”

Lashari told The Express Tribune that the police had met with the K’s friend, M, and had also spoken to K. K told the police that she was not staying at her residence any more but was with some loved ones [azeez] and would visit the police station on Tuesday to record her statement. However, one investigative police officer said that K – who said that she had been treated unfairly – had not come in to record a statement yet. The officer said that if this continued then the FIR would eventually be termed a Class-C FIR.

Not a white Corolla

Amjad said the car used by the perpetrators was a silver Corolla. Initial media reports had suggested that the car was a white Corolla, leading to speculation about the re-emergence of the ‘white Corolla gang’ which had been involved in the abduction and rape of women in Karachi. Amjad said the car may have been a rental.

Amjad denied there was any organised group involved in such cases, or that similar incidents had been reported in the vicinity.

He said a large number of people are at Seaview till the early hours of the morning and the police have received reports of “drunken men chasing women”. “We do have a police check post at Seaview and we monitor the situation. However in cases of women being chased or harassed, there are few complaints filed – otherwise we would have a mountain of FIRs.”

Legal angle

Human rights lawyer Zia Awan and other people have been following the case. “The way that this case has been portrayed by the police and the media reporting has not been conducive,” Awan said. “The women were portrayed to be of a ‘bad character’ – even if they are [sex workers] no one can [rape] them. It doesn’t matter what they were wearing or what time [they were out].” The portrayal has spread fear among parents who are worried about their daughters going out. It was very brave of these women to have come forward. People do come forward now because of the civil society and the positive role that the media has. “But our society is so offensive, there is such a huge stigma and discrimination that most cases are withdrawn or languish in courts for years,” he added. “The focus is always on the victims and never on the perpetrators — who always go scot free.”

Muharram processions underway amid tight security

Police officials stand guard at MA Jinnah road during a Muharram procession. PHOTO: PPI

Tight security arrangements were put in place throughout various cities and towns in the country ahead of Muharram processions which began today (Thursday) and will continue tomorrow (Friday).

The procession routes in Karachi have been sealed by containers and bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs are continuously sweeping the area. More than 5,000 police and 4,000 Rangers personnel have been deployed across the city to protect the procession, Express 24/7 reported. According to an earlierreport in The Express Tribune, a security official had said 6,000 Rangers personnel would be deployed across the whole of Sindh. The city of Karachi is distributed into three zones, where the Rangers personnel will be on duty. The main processions will be monitored in the Command and Control Room through CCTV cameras while smaller processions will also be provided security by the Rangers.

In Lahore, 600 Rangers have been put on guard for processions till Muharram 10th. Some 20,000 Punjab policemen have been deployed in Lahore. Superintendent of Police (Security) Faisal Rana had earlier briefed that the route of the main procession in Lahore had been cleared and surrounded by barbed wire barricades, and 27 cameras would be installed in Mochi Gate, where the main mourning procession will begin. Pillion riding has also been banned in Lahore for two days and helicopters are monitoring sensitive locations.

The Muharram procession in Karachi will start from Nishtar Park, pass through its traditional route which includes Numaish Chorangi and reach Imam Bargah Ali Raza where Zuhr prayers will be offered. Later the procession will pass through MA Jinnah Road, Bolton Market, Bombay Bazar and end at the Imam Bargah Hussainia Kharadar.

Similar processions will be taken out in other towns and cities of Pakistan.

Tribune