‘Mir Shakeel transferred plots to cover up his crime,’ Prosecutor NAB tells court

The Lahore Accountability Court on Tuesday ordered to present Jang/Geo owner Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman in next hearing of illegal plot allotment case.

According to the details, Lahore Accountability conducted the hearing of illegal plot allotment reference against Jang and Geo owner Mir Shakeel.

Accountability court judge Asad Ali heard the reference. The court summoned prosecution witnesses Haseeb Ahmed and Bashir Ahmed on March 3 to record their statements.

Special Prosecutor Haris Qureshi appeared in court on behalf of NAB. Prosecution witnesses Muhammad Sarwar and Asif Zaidi also appeared before the court along with the record

Advocate Amjad Pervez appeared before the court on behalf of Mir Shakeel. The witness Muhammad Sarwar while recording his statement said that, ‘My father Muhammad Ali had a land in Thokar Niaz Baig. In 1986 LDA acquired our land and we sold it to Mir Shakeel.”

He added that, “Tehsildar (tax officer) Siddique took me to Mir Shakeel’s office. We sold 180 kanals of land to Mir Shakeel at Rs. 32,000 per kanal. Accused Mir Shakeel paid Rs. 57/58 lakh from a private bank in Thokar Niaz Baig. The documents were signed within the bank premises.

Muhammad Sarwar revealed that, ‘on March 24, 2020, I went to the NAB office and recorded the statement of the investigating officer.’

On which Judge Asad Ali questioned that whether Muhammad Sarwar went alone or with someone. To which the witness Muhammad Ali replied that he went to the NAB office with his brother and nephews.

During the proceedings, Advocate Amjad Pervez said that, we do not want to cross-examine this witness.

Prosecution witness record keeper Syed Asif Raza Zaidi also while recording his statement before the court said that on March 20, 2020, I appeared before NAB and presented the record of allotment to Mir Shakeel. The revenue record for May 1986 was sought by the NAB. The district court could not produce the required record as it was burned in a fire incident.

Advocate Amjad Pervez again said he do not want to cross-examine the witness. After completing the statements, Judge Asad Ali summoned four more witnesses in next hearing. He also summoned the complainant of the case in the next hearing.

To which Advocate Amjad Pervez said that the complainant in the case is the anchor person of the opposing channel. The complainant of the reference is not the affected party. He has his own interests.

Meanwhile, prosecutor NAB said that Mir Shakeel, former DG LDA Humayun Faiz Rasool and Bashir Ahmad have been found guilty in the reference. The accused Mir Shakeel obtained 54 plots of one kanal on exemption with the connivance of the then Chief Minister Nawaz Sharif. It is a violation of the Exemption Policy 1986 for the accused to get a plot in the same area on exemption.

NAB prosecutor also added that the accused Mir Shakeel also included 2 streets in the allotted plots with the connivance of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. He added that Mir Shakeel transferred the plot in the name of his wife and minor children to cover up his crime.

The court after hearing the arguments adjourned the hearing till March 3^rd 2021.