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Scandal escalates to defame the Chief Justice of Pakistan

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They said many people in the past tried to protect their properties from land mafia but mostly their struggle ended in their death and astonishingly families of the deceased were forced to have a patch-up with land mafia. This situation has developed a common perception that no one can stand against Riaz in federal capital and nearby areas.

Sources said in rural circles, especially in Sihala and Bhara Kahu, police station house officers (SHOs) can not be appointed without approval of Malik Riaz and deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) and superintendents of police (SPs) are appointed after consultation with him, as these officers can use their powers against him during inquiries about the land grabbing and other matters.

Bahria Town Security guard murder case

On February 27, 2012, the Supreme Court rejected an inquiry report by the capital's top cop into the murder of a security guard and directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to conduct an inquiry afresh. The three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, which was hearing the case, directed the FIA Director General Javed Iqbal to submit his findings in three weeks.

Hamid Khan, a prominent figure during the lawyers' movement and leader of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf, appeared before the court to defend the real estate tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain, who had paid Rs26 million ($ .26 Million) to the widow of security guard Fayyaz Ahmad. "Was it diyat?" the court asked. "No, it was financial assistance," Khan replied. While appreciating Riaz's generosity, the court was curious as to the reason he was being so generous. "We are well aware of the fact that no one normally extend such huge amounts"while Riaz is not even accused in the case, we would like to know the truth behind his generosity," Justice Tariq Pervez asked.

On the court's instruction, Defense lawyer Hamid Khan also read out the inquiry report of an additional sessions judge, which stated that the Bahria Town owner was also involved in this case and that the murder and subsequent accusations on innocent people were to snatch their land.

Inspector General Police Islamabad,   Bani Amin, who was tasked the inquiry on February 1, informed the court that he found 15 officers guilty of not running a transparent investigation. "I have dismissed nine station house officers (SHOs) and recommended the suspension of six deputy superintendents of police (DSPs)."

Bahria Town owner Malik Riaz accused of murder

On June 7, 2012, a petition to register a murder case against Malik Riaz has been submitted in the Supreme Court.   In his petition, Dr Shafiq-ur-Rehman, accused that Malik Riaz was involved in the murder of (retd) Lt Gen. Imtiaz Hussain   and Dr Mansoor Janjua.

The petition states that their murders were connected with an exchange of a staggering Rs 62 Billion ($ 62 million) in Bahria Town Defense Housing Authority scheme.

Lt Gen (retd) Imtiaz Hussain was found dead at his bungalow in Rawalpindi Defense Housing Authority on May 24. He had a single gunshot wound to his head. "The bullet entered the left temple and exited through the opposite side," according to police. In a statement, Imtaiz's wife said that her husband was suffering from depression and on May 24 morning he shot himself in the head. Besides serving in the army at various posts, Lt Gen Hussain had also served as chairman of the Army Welfare Trust. He was issueless but the couple have an adopted son.

Rs 62 billion ($620 million) scam

"General Imtiaz was the Adjutant General of the Army, and thus the ultimate boss of DHA Islamabad, when this infamous contract was signed. It was also well known then that he was also its penultimate beneficiary--the ultimate one being the great Malik himself! After his retirement from the army he was rewarded with the stewardship of the Army Welfare Trust. And it was after his retirement from there that he came home and found the time and the leisure to fall into a depression which eventually drove him into suicide. There is a good body of opinion which feels that his depression was the brought on by fear of the chickens coming home to roost, as it is

reasonable to assume they must.   So, between the death of General Imtiaz and Malik Riaz Hussain there may well be an intimate connection. And few connections are more intimate than those between give and take. But the stakes now have become considerably higher."

The daily Dawn reported on June 9 that the National Accountability Bureau has ordered a fresh inquiry into   an alleged Rs62 billion ($ 620 million) land scam in the Defense Housing Authority (DHA) Islamabad in which Malik Riaz, a property tycoon, is allegedly involved. The scam is linked to allegations levelled by former military officer Tariq Kamal against Malik Riaz and the DHA for depriving about 150,000 people of their residential plots. Interestingly, the NAB Rawalpindi which had received the case early this year did not take any action and no inquiry was initiated. Dawn quoted Lt-Col (retd) Tariq Kamal as saying: "Those who got cheated include 110,000 civilians, 41,000 serving and retired military officers, jawans and families of martyrs. Total land in question is 165,000 kanals."

According to Lt Col [retd] Tariq Kamal, an ex-Director Engineering of DHA, Malik Riaz signed a deal in 2009 to acquire land to the DHA. Generally he was buying land at between Rs 20,000 and 50,000 per kanal, and palming it off to the army at between Rs 300,000 to 500,000 per kanal. According to the Colonel's computation, Malik Riaz enriched himself by about Rs sixty billion as a result of this contract, and some of these pickings were generously distributed by him among those who facilitated his theft, one of the beneficiaries being General Imtiaz who was the Adjutant General of the Army, and thus the ultimate boss of DHA Islamabad, when this infamous contract was signed.

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Author and journalist. Author of Islamic Pakistan: Illusions & Reality; Islam in the Post-Cold War Era; Islam & Modernism; Islam & Muslims in the Post-9/11 America. Currently working as free lance journalist. Executive Editor of American (more...)
 
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