An accountability court on Saturday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for land tycoon Zain Malik, a son-in-law of land tycoon Malik Riaz, during a case concerning alleged illegal amalgamation of economic land to the Bahria Town for a multi-storey building in Karachi.
Former Karachi mayor and Pak Sarzameen Party Chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal, Zain Malik, former Karachi district coordination officer Fazlur Rehman, former executive district officer Iftikhar Qaimkhani et al. face trial within the case.
On Saturday, the matter came up before the accountability court-III judge. Kamal et al. appeared before the court on bail. However, Malik was absent.
His counsel informed the court that Malik was within the uk for treatment and an application had been filed with the request to record his statement from the united kingdom and for the filing of any charge(s) to be framed against him, as had been wiped out the Park Lane reference against former president Asif Ali Zardari.
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However, the judge turned down the request and issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Malik. The investigation officer was directed to arrest and produce Malik before the court on subsequent date of hearing.
The judge deferred indictment of Kamal, Rehman et al. within the case till Oct 9.
In June 2019, the court had admitted the reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the then city mayor Mustafa Kamal, then DCO Rehman, then EDO Qaimkhani, then district officer Mumtaz Haider, then additional DO Syed Nishat Ali then Clifton sub-registrar-II Nazir Zardari.
The reference also named five builders — Zain Malik, Mohammad Dawood, Mohammad Yaqoob, Mohammad Irfan and Mohammad Rafiq — all related to M/s DJ Builders and Developers.
According to the reference, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation in 1982 created 198 stalls/shops on two amenity plots adjacent to the Kothari Parade for dislocated hawkers while four commercial plots, each measuring 255.55 sq yd, were also created within the locality.
It alleged that M/s DJ Builders purchased four commercial plots and 198 stalls of the hawkers. However, the 2 amenity plots were never transferred within the builder’s name.
NAB further alleged that Zain Malik et al. related to M/s DJ Builders with connivance of the then Karachi mayor Kamal, DCO Rehman et al. , unlawfully got transferred 102 stalls in favour of Bahria Town Private Limited through a conveyance deed without obtaining permission from the Karachi Development Authority.
The reference claimed the worth of those stalls was shown within the registration deed as only Rs260 million whereas the market price was assessed at Rs2.155 billion and made sale value was adjudged at Rs1.724bn.
The anti-graft watchdog claimed Malik was the next beneficiary of the amalgamated plot, which was illegally transferred within the name of M/s Bahria Town with active connivance of the most beneficiary (DJ Builders and Developers) and therefore the sub-registrar-II, Clifton.
Earlier this month, the accountability court dismissed an acquittal application of Malik, who withdrew an equivalent and informed the court that he might choose a plea bargaining with NAB.
Defence counsel Amir Raza Naqvi said his client wanted to withdraw his acquittal application, which was filed under Section 265-K of the criminal procedure code (CrPC) read with Section 4(2)(b) of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999.
He said Malik had already reached a settlement in three other cases with the NAB authorities, who had accepted his plea bargaining . Subsequently, the relevant accountability court in Rawalpindi had also approved his plea bargaining settlement with NAB in those matters, the counsel maintained.
Therefore, Naqvi said, he didn't press the pending acquittal application of Malik and requested to withdraw an equivalent , saying there was an opportunity that his client might choose an identical plea bargaining with the NAB authorities within the present matter also .
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