RAWALPINDI:
In a mega financial scandal involving the alleged transfer of over Rs 2 billion through CDR from the official accounts of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and security deposits of contractors, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has tightened the noose around 48 people, including the current director general of the RDA, eight former director generals and other senior officials.
According to letters issued by the NAB, details about the assets have been sought from the CEOs of multiple development authorities, including CDA Islamabad, Gwadar, Lahore, Karachi, Malir, Peshawar, Quetta and RDA.
Among those asked to provide details are current GDR Director General Kanza Murtaza, former Director Generals Amira Khan, Chaudhry Maqbool Ahmed Dhawla, late Abdul Sattar Isani, Nadeem Ahmed Abro, Gulzar Hussain Shah, Captain Tahir Zafar Abbasi and Saif Anwar Jappa, along with former Director of Administration and Finance Shahid Marath, Amir Sohail Kaifi, Khalid Javed Goraya, Malik Ghazanfar Ali, Saba. Gul and Asif Mahmood Janjua.
Others named include Babar Yaqoob Khan, Robina Shaheen, Adnan Shahzad, Shabbir Hussain, Yasir Mahmood, Khawaja Arshad Javed, Raja Nauman Mahmood, Muhammad Imran Khan, Hashim Sher Raja, Atif Mahmood, Muhammad Hasnain Yousaf, Shamim Akhtar, Muhammad Saqib, Fazal Naeem, Raqia Naeem, Muhammad Huzaila, Samra Yasin, Rashid Rizwan, Shahida Parveen, Saniya Majeed, Sagheer Hussain, Wasim Qaiser, Nazia, Muhammad Afzal, Hamad Jamal, Raja Arsalan, Ehtesham Ali Qureshi, late Muhammad, Junaid Taj, Muhammad Taj, Mubeen Taj and Ehtesham Taj.
The NAB has directed that the details of the assets be submitted to NAB Deputy Director Rawalpindi-Islamabad Hamza Iqbal. The information has been requested under Section 19 of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999 as part of an ongoing investigation into the GDR financial scandal and the alleged misappropriation of contractors’ security deposits.
Sealed official residence
On the other hand, the official residence of late Junaid Taj Bhatti, director general of Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), Sialkot, and former deputy director of Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), who allegedly committed suicide in his office, was formally vacated at Civil Lines, Rawalpindi, on Thursday.
Under the supervision of an investigation agency, the government residence (37-A) was sealed a day earlier. The personal effects of the deceased agent were removed from the premises and transferred to another location. Although the deceased officer’s widow had formally requested the Director General of the GDR to continue residing in the official accommodation, the residence was assigned to another GDR officer.
It is pertinent to note that during the late official’s tenure in the GDR, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has been conducting an investigation into the alleged transfer of funds exceeding Rs 2 billion from an official government account to other accounts through CDR.
