News
Saturday, April 16, 2011
LHC asks to investigate embassy land sale
Staff Report
LAHORE: Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry of the Lahore High Court (LHC), on Friday, ordered the Punjab National Accountability Bureau (NAB) director general to hold a thorough investigation regarding sale of Pakistani embassy’s land in Indonesia and Japan on throwaway prices, on orders of former chief executive General Pervaiz Musharraf.
Justice Chaudhry issued the direction while disposing off a petition filed by columnist Dr Qaiser Rashid.
Dr Rashid submitted that Daily Times had published a news item by Tahir Niaz on April 28, 2010, which stated clearly that Musharraf “sold gifted property for peanuts”.
According to the news, on February 18, 2002, Major General Mustafa Anwar misused his authority as envoy to sell both the buildings of the embassy and residence of the ambassador on throwaway prices, consequently experiencing huge financial kickbacks from the deal.
The property had been a gift by the Indonesian president Soekarno to Pakistan but was sold under the pretext of a directive issued by Musharraf.
Mustafa sold the property needlessly, violating the laid down procedures and defying the directive of the Foreign Ministry to wait for a proper approval from the inter-ministerial committee. The deal was finalised through a company belonging to the ambassador’s Indonesian wife.
The inter-ministerial committee, even after the deal, gave approval for sale to an Indoensian company, Era Victorail, for $2.28 million.
Dr Rashid said that the Pakistani embassy and the ambassador’s residence in Japan covered a land area of 2249.16 square metres, which was also for a very low cost in 2007.
He said that a newsletter had been issued, providing justifications for the sale, stating, “Soon after assuming office, president Musharraf issued instructions that with a view to curtailing the huge expenditure on rentals, the government should purchase/acquire offices and residences for our missions abroad.”
He alleged that the property was sold at a throwaway price to give benefit to a Japanese company Nomura Real Estate and in return the embassy staff received kickbacks and that the money so embezzled had been invested in Aisha Sell Mills through a front man. Dr Rashid stated that being a citizen he had a constitutional right to know how much money was embezzled in any form in these deals and how much money had been recovered so far from looters.
He requested that sale of these properties be declared “illegal, against public interest and in violation of the fundamental rights.”
He also requested that the federal government, the NAB and FIA should be directed to initiate proceedings against all those who are responsible for the sale of land of embassies. He further requested that sale and purchase of government property abroad under the light of directive issued by Musharraf issued in 2000 be stopped immediately. Dr Rashid also offered to withdraw his petition in this regard if directions are given to respondents to conduct proper inquiry and proceedings against responsible persons.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk