Showing posts with label Encroached Land. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Encroached Land. Show all posts

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Parveen Rehman (1957 - 2013)


A 2009 WikiLeaks cable released yesterday adds new context to the discussion following last weekend's assault on a Pakistani naval base in Karachi. The Cable, signed by Consul General Stephen Fakan, surveys the threat posed by the city's armed political gangs: The police in Karachi are only one of several armed groups in the city, and they are probably not the most numerous or best equipped. Many neighborhoods are considered by the police to be no-go zones in which even the intelligence services have a difficult time operating. Very few of the groups are traditional criminal gangs. Most are associated with a political party, a social movement, or terrorist activity, and their presence in the volatile ethnic mix of the world,s fourth largest city creates enormous political and governance challenges. The cable surveys armed groups associated with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party, Muhajir Qaumi Movement (H), and Sunni Tehreek (ST). Interestingly, it argues that because of the deterioration of the rest of Pakistan, Karachi has become something of an "island of stability" but warns that the city "still has a number of well-armed political and religious factions and the potential to explode into violent ethnic and religious conflict given the wrong circumstances." Reference: WikiLeaks: Karachi gangs outnumber police Posted By Joshua Keating Tuesday, May 24, 2011 - 12:47 PM http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/05/24/wikileaks_karachi_gangs_outnumber_police Viewing cable 09KARACHI138, SINDH - THE GANGS OF KARACHI http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2009/04/09KARACHI138.html


KARACHI: A media-shy social worker who devoted her life to the development of the impoverished neighbourhoods across the country, was gunned down near her office in Orangi Town on Wednesday. She was 56. Parveen Rehman was born in Dhaka in 1957. She did part of her schooling in the former East Pakistan and migrated to Karachi after the fall of Dhaka. She received a bachelor’s of engineering in architecture from Karachi’s Dawood College of Engineering and Technology in 1981 and joined a private architect’s firm. A few months later, she left the job and joined the Orangi Pilot Project initiated by Akhtar Hameed Khan to bring healthy changes to the lives of impoverished residents of Orangi. “The late Akhtar persuaded her to join the OPP. We both joined the OPP in 1982 and since then we worked in close association,” said Anwer Rashid, co-director of the OPP-RTI (Orangi Pilot Project-Research and Training Institute). Mr Rashid choked on words as he described his working relationship with Ms Rehman. Noted town planner Arif Hasan, who is member of the OPP’s board, briefly visited Ms Rehman’s home and left early as he was deeply distressed like dozens of her friends and colleagues who had gathered at her house in Safari Boulevard in Gulistan-i-Jauhar. “She was a courageous and brave lady. She was a true pupil of Akhtar Hameed Khan who worked in an environment where most people will avoid to work,” said Mr Rashid. Soon after the private TV networks flashed news of her death, a large number of people flocked to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where her body had been shifted. Eyewitnesses said those who gathered in the hospital and outside her home, where she was living alone with her octogenarian mother, included dozens of residents of Orangi who were mourning her death. “She was a great help for us. She was just like an elder sister to whom we would go whenever a problem struck us,” said a middle-aged man who identified himself as Azmat Ali. Arif Pervez, development professional and a friend of hers, said Ms Rehman had been receiving death threats for a long time, apparently from the mafia involved in grabbing precious land on the fringes of the city. “She had been receiving threats on her life for a long time. We had discussed this several times but every time I advised her to take care of herself, she smiled, waved her hand and said what will they do, I have to work a lot and that too in the middle of the people,” Mr Pervez said. Ms Rehman was an ardent compiler of the record of precious lands, which were on the fringes of the city in shape of villages but were speedily vanishing into its vastness because of ever-increasing demand by thousands of families who were shifting to Karachi every year from across the country. She said on record that around 1,500 goths (villages) had been merged into the city since 15 years. Land-grabbers subdivided them into plots and earned billions by their sale. “She documented everything about the lands that have been grabbed. Another sin of her was to help those whose lands had been grabbed. Yet, she never hesitated to go to the area where her life was constantly under threat,” Mr Pervez said.“Many people certainly have lost their elder sister,” he said. Noman Ahmed of NED University said Ms Rehman’s great achievement was to get involved and empower communities in development work. “She involved communities in development work and her cautious endeavour was to empower people and lessen their sense of deprivation. Her motto was way forward. She saw it as a defeat to terrorists by not changing her routine to help people,” Mr Ahmed said. Besides her mother, Ms Rehman is survived by her two brothers and a sister, living abroad. REFERENCE: Parveen Rehman: a fighter for the poor silenced http://dawn.com/2013/03/14/parveen-rehman-a-fighter-for-the-poor-silenced/

Parveen Rehman on Land, Politics and Violence in Karachi by Fahad Desmukh http://www.scribd.com/doc/130730202/Parveen-Rehman-on-Land-Politics-and-Violence-in-Karachi






2012: “They came with gunmen,” said Parveen Rehman, who heads a social development nongovernmental organization in Karachi. “Five or six went into the courtyard and they said that ‘today we will occupy this place no matter what.’” Rehman said the armed thugs wanted to take over the group’s compound. Luckily, she said, a person in her organization knew someone more powerful. So they turned to him for help. “He came and he said if you fire then we’ll fire many more rounds,” Rehman said. “So imagine, to save ourselves, we went to a bigger thug.” This is by no means an isolated incident. Many organizations and businesses face similar problems. And it’s especially hard to fix because the violence goes right to the top, to city officials and political parties. Karachi houses almost every different ethnic and political group in the country: Muhajirs, Pashtuns, Baloch, Sindhis… not to mention a range of Islamist groupings. All of the different groups have political organizations that claim to represent them. And most of those groups have their own militias. Parveen Rehman said that grabbing land brings lots of power. “There is continuous battle over various segments of land in Karachi between various groups of people who I would not say are given sanction by any one political party; but who as a strategy align themselves with political parties,” Rehman explained. “And police and of course all the government departments and the elected members are all partners in this. Because the money involved is so much, that overnight you can earn so much more.” It’s a strategic mix of politics, crime and business. Once a political party’s thugs steal land, it’s divided and illegally sold to others. And that creates an instant – beholden – constituency. This phenomenon of “land-grabbing” exploits the weakness of state institutions, as well as the ever-increasing demand for housing not met by the government. About half of Karachi’s estimated 17 million people live this way, dependent on one private group or another. REFERENCE : Urban Violence and Land Grabbing in Karachi JANUARY 18, 2012 BY Fahad Desmukh Fahad Desmukh is a journalist based in Karachi, Pakistan. He has previously worked as a news reporter for Express 24/7 and Geo TV in Pakistan. http://www.theworld.org/2012/01/urban-violence-and-land-grabbing-in-karachi/


Orangi Pilot Project: Environment and Urbanization by Arif Hasan http://www.scribd.com/doc/130386205/Orangi-Pilot-Project-Environment-and-Urbanization-by-Arif-Hasan




Death of a social activist By Ardeshir Cowasjee November 15th, 2009 THE desecration of Gutter Baghicha, a designated parkland for the people of Karachi, has been written about umpteen times over the past couple of years, but no effective action was taken by those concerned. On Nov 7, 2009, Nisar Baloch, the spearhead of the Gutter Baghicha Bachao Tehreek and a member of Shehri, two NGOs which have been trying for the last two decades to save this lung of the city,was shot through the head by unidentified assailants as he was leaving his house. As recorded in a Nov 10 editorial in the national press, “After Baloch`s death, most of Old Golimar, Bada Board area and Pak Colony, predominantly Sindhi and Baloch lower class neighbourhoods, were shut down in protest. The police had to be called to control the public outrage against the murder of a concerned citizen, known for his long-standing campaign against the land-grabbing mafia and the indiscriminate conversion of parks, playgrounds, beach promenades, sewage treatment plants, government building plots and even plots in the sea into commercial projects by the authorities. “The City District Government Karachi is accused of having changed the status of at least 26 parks and playgrounds in middle, lower-middle and working-class neighbourhoods of the city. While a large tract of land by the sea has been turned into a sprawling recreation point, Bagh-i-Ibn-i-Qasim, in the heart of a posh locality, the right of the lesser mortals in the metropolis to public spaces and amenity plots is being flagrantly flouted. Several petitions are pending at various levels of the courts against illegal conversion, grabbing and disposal of land as well as amenity plots all over Karachi…. “Nisar Baloch understandably became a thorn in the side of the land-grabbing mafia, reportedly backed by influential ethnic and political parties of the city. Ironically, he had addressed a press conference only a day before he was murdered where he highlighted the issue in detail and pinpointed (perhaps fatally) the forces lending administrative and political support to the illegal occupation of the land of Gutter Baghicha. Importantly, Nisar Baloch had criticised both the MQM and PPP in equal measure, the former for complicity in coercion and the latter for its expedient tardiness. The Sindh chief minister had slapped a ban on the disposal and leasing of plots by the city government in July 2009. The ban was challenged by Nazim Mustafa Kamal but this public interest matter was settled out of court as if it was a compoundable dispute.” Nisar`s widow, 29-year old Madiha, has written to Chief Justice Iftihkar Chaudhry under the heading `Appeal for justice in the matter of Gutter Baghicha, Manghopir Road, Karachi (a) Punish the killers of my social-activist husband, Nisar Baloch (b) Save Gutter Baghicha Park from land-grabbers and criminals`. The text “My 45-year old husband, Nisar Baloch, resident of Old Golimar in Karachi, worked most of his life for the poor people of our area, and laboured especially hard over the past 16 years to preserve the remaining 480 acres of Gutter Baghicha Trans-Lyari Park. “Powerful political parties, corrupt officials and vested interests want to grab this amenity land, and, during the past six months, have occupied a part of the park and are building houses on it. My husband held a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Nov6, 2009 to expose by name the criminals involved and to ask for your intervention in the matter (see press clippings attached….) “He was brutally shot dead the next morning at about 9.30 am near our house while driving his motorcycle, leaving me a widow with a two-year old daughter. Details of the murder in cold blood are given in the attached press clippings of Nov 8, 2009. “This brutal act has ruined our life; I and my daughter request your Honour to take lawful action against those responsible, order an impartial investigation of my husband`s murder, and help preserve his dream of a developed Gutter Baghicha Park accessible to all for recreation.” This targeted murder was undertaken the day after Nisar`s press conference. Who will be next on the list? Could it be a man of the Rangers? Or could it be a police official? Or a functionary of the City District Government`s Revenue Office whose sworn duty it is to protect government and amenity land? Karachi is a volatile tinderbox that could ignite at any time. It has slowly reached this stage over the past three decades because our politicians and government officials (not a single statesman among the lot) have progressively abdicated their statutory duty to render good governance and maintain the writ of law. The recent campaign to free the judiciary from the shackles that since 1947 have increasingly restrained it augurs well for the re-establishment of justice across the land. The citizens of Pakistan look to Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who has himself been a victim of injustice, to come to the aid of the oppressed and exploited. Reference: Death of a social activist By Ardeshir Cowasjee November 15th, 2009 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/19346 Gutter Baghicha over the years by Shahid Hussain, Sunday, November 08, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=207306&Cat=4&dt=11/8/2009







When it comes to Gutter Baghicha, land-grabbers have always been one step ahead in their attempts to bag the amenity plot to fill their coffers - It is a deplorable fact that in Pakistan, we constantly try to acquire any piece of land to build on or cultivate regardless of the fact that it may be be owned by another person, a community or that it might be an amenity plot. The greed is so great that we have to get hold of the land by any means possible. The small, green plot in Karachi termed ‘Gutter Baghicha’ gets its name from the sewerage treatment plant installed there during the pre-Partition era, in 1890. The entire area then covered 1,017 acres, and was a part of the Trans-Lyari Quarter meant to serve 100,000 people. The Karachi Handbook describes Gutter Baghicha as “an oasis in the desert and a paradise of insects, birds and naturalists.” Cereals, vegetables and fruits were cultivated here. Then, in 1947 onwards, an influx of refugees from India began to settle in kutchi abadis and began encroaching on Gutter Baghicha, such as Asif Colony, Zubair Colony, Hasrat Mohani Colony and Wilayatabad. These colonies were established on 25 per cent of the then Gutter Baghicha area. Haroonabad Industrial Area and marble-processing plants encroached upon another 15pc. In early 1993, an application was forwarded for the KMC Officers Cooperative Society on 200 acres of Gutter Baghicha land at throwaway prices. A couple of days later, the KMC Council, through Resolution No 82, approved the land use (without auction) for 99 years for residential purpose. This is in violation of Section 45 of SLGO 1979.



The Chief Secretary, Syed Sardar Ahmed, commented on it thus: “It would be unfair to convert the open park/farm into a housing society. It may be regretted.” But the summary never reached the chief minister (having been dexterously retrieved by the mafia), who surprisingly supported a resolution passed by the KMC committee. A couple of months later, the KMC advertised an auction of industrial plots in Gutter Baghicha at Rs1,000 per square yard. Then in mid-1993, without mentioning the unfavourable remarks of the Chief Secretary, a proposal to proceed with the KMCOHS was pushed to the chief minister, amounting to “cheating and concealing of facts.” The latter again supported the KMC resolution. A few days later, the Government of Sindh approved the housing scheme, undersigned as 45(5)(I) of SLGO1979 to KMC Council Resolution No 82 of 11-3-1993. A month later, a lease deed for 200 acres executed without receiving full payment and Rs11 million still outstanding. Then, there appeared an advertisement in the papers to go ahead with this housing scheme with a three-day deadline. Curious, I ventured to Lyari and talked to some of the locals. I was shown Gutter Baghicha and I decided to file a Human Rights case 6-K/93 under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, under the conversion of Gutter Baghicha amenity land into an industrial one. We obtained a stay order from the Sindh High Court. In September 1993, the Sindh EPA recommended to the Supreme Court that a public farm be established on this park. The Sindh High Court restrained KMC or any other transferees from transferring or selling any part of Gutter Baghicha. The Government of Sindh was also restrained from granting approval to the KMC resolution. It was a thoughtful summary from Justice Agha Sabihuddin that said the Supreme Court judgment should be awaited. In spite of the SHC stay order on this park, between 1994 and 1997 sub-leases of 415 plots were issued by the KMC for officers’ housing. Members of this fraudulent scheme tried to obtain bank loans against this allotment as well. Finally, what was done in the case of Gutter Baghicha. Were illegal industries removed and their owners charged? Was the KMC committee severely reprimanded and disbanded for its acts? Were those responsible or involved in this act, as well as the concerned KMC officers, hauled up by the police or fined? No. It shows a huge deficiency in our judicial back-up system. Opposite the Ferozabad Police Station in PECHS, the land mafia targeted an eight-acre plot named Sultanagar lying vacant in 1981, wanting to build a housing scheme here. 




The same was reserved for a ladies park. Humaira Rehman and I organized a signature campaign and gave this to the then Martial Law Administrator, Gen Abbasi, who then ordered against its sale and development. In the mid-90s, a 2,200 square yards plot on Hill Park in PECHS was illegally given out by Z.A. Nizami, DG, KDA, to a builder. Yousuf Jameel and I fought the legal case and we lost as Mr Nizami, as the DG, KDA, had a right to “allot plots”. The Kidney Park is another example. The open, park or green areas between New York, Singapore with and Karachi with populations of 14.6, 4 and 11 million is 12, 10 and less than 1pc, respectively. In addition, Karachi has the highest density of population — 6,300 persons per square kilometre. The population of Karachi will eventually reach 40 million and Pakistan at 473 million. Pakistan will emerge as the third-largest country in the world. Aside from these population projections, there are two reasons for a population influx in cities. One is rural migration and the other, national population growth. In Istanbul, there is an autonomous urban organization that is free from political pressures. Turkey’s current Prime Minister, Abdullah Gul, was a one-time mayor and handled city issues. When low-cost housing takes place, then this organization is provided money to do it. There is no such thing as free plots. The Turkish population is also almost static at 67 million. Aside from this, another very important aspect to be noted is the diminishing river-water flow that results in lesser snowfall in the mountains. The solution is not to build another huge Kalabagh Dam and thereby cause Sindh another huge economic and environmental loss. All of us have already read about the millions of acres of wasteland due to sea-water intrusion in the coastal areas of Sindh. There is Brackish water in Badin at a depth of one-and-a-half foot below ground. Water holds its level irrespective of the fact that it is arable or seawater. When we build dams, we hold back fresh water, that results in intrusion of seawater. This is what is happening in Sindh. If we think in terms of economic loss, it amounts to billions of rupees. Aside from dams, we have to think constructively and learn from other situations such as the one in the Middle East where there is a shortage of water, but agriculture thrives. We have to line up our canals, thereby saving water for agriculture and the adjoining land from waterlogging. Pakistan spends 2.3pc on education, the lowest in South Asia, as opposed to Sri Lanka’s 11.7pc, in spite of its civil war. This has been continuing for the last 85 years. Pakistan needs money for education and it is there for the taking, but we must address this situation seriously. Alcohol, and horse racing are just two of the many areas of extravagance that remain untaxed. Think of all the new jobs being created if we include all this as part of the white economy. By these means, our education budget can multiply three or four times. Unfortunately, due to our warped and negative thinking, we have lost billions of dollars over the last 25 years. Finally, we spend around $230 million on education. If we take a fully-loaded F16 warplane each costing $80 million, only three of these would match the amount we spend on education in a given year. REFERENCE: Who will defy the land mafia? By Navaid Hussain February 2, 2003 http://archives.dawn.com/weekly/dmag/archive/030202/dmag20.htm ‘Gutter Baghicha will be saved from encroachment’ * Shehri launches signature campaign http://jamilkhan.wordpress.com/2008/10/25/save-gutter-baghicha-campaign/ By Jamil Khan Published @ Daily Times on Oct 25, 2008







2009 : `I Own Karachi` and can sell it! By Ardeshir Cowasjee February 22nd, 2009 KARACHI, this increasingly ravaged city, has a dire history of the conversion of amenity plots to commercial and residential use. Virtually every `ruler` or administrator has left his mark on the exploding metropolis by giving away what was not his to give — public spaces and civic-use plots that were planned by experts for the common good. At the Corporate Summit on Climate Change held in Karachi last Thursday, the city nazim Mustafa Kamal told a gathering of some 200 businessmen, industrialists, environmentalists, academics and NGOs that he had learnt that day for the first time of the importance of the environment. He admitted to being unfamiliar with the Environment Protection Act 1997 and with the effects of climate change. He welcomed an offer from Leadership for Environment & Development Pakistan to assist him in evaluating his development strategy and his proposed solutions to the city`s problems, including mass transportation, treatment of 400 million gallons per day of raw sewage presently being dumped into the sea, and the management of 10,000 tons of garbage generated daily. Coincidentally, whilst the nazim was speaking at the DHA Golf Club, members of the MQM were passing a City Council resolution at the KMC Hall, barely eight miles away, converting over 40 acres of amenity space at Sewage Treatment Plant-2 in Mehmoodabad (located at N24o51`6`, E67o04`27` on Google-Earth) into a housing colony. This was done despite the protests of opposition members who foresaw `horrible devastation` if land assigned for a treatment plant expansion was swallowed up. They explained that many previous attempts to misuse and convert amenity spaces had been struck down by the courts. In July 2008, a similar illegal conversion (`commercialisation`) of a 2.5-acre space on the Clifton beach was attempted by the City Council treasury benches (over the objections of the opposition members) for use as a five-star hotel-cum-shopping complex. Earlier this month, a blitz of ads in the press announced the auction of the beach plot for a reserved price of Rs119 crores. References: `I Own Karachi` and can sell it! By Ardeshir Cowasjee February 22nd, 2009 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/152064 2 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/152173 3 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/152174 4 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/152097

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Malik Riaz & Journalists.

Job of any Newspaper and News Channel is to provide news not to recite Islamic Studies and Pakistan Studies and GEO TV/ Jang Group /The News all are basically lecturing Pakistan Ad nauseam, one wonders what kind of advice is being given by Mr. Najam Sethi and Ms Maleeha Lodhi who are said to be the advisers of Mir Shakil ur Rehman and Co. ? Since when Newspapers in a Third World country have advisers and since when owners of GEO TV/Jang Group become  Ted Turner or Rupert Murdoch. Lest I miss, this is strictly for Mr. Najam Sethi, why GEO TV several programs even the satire program attacking everyone's Loyalty with the country in the garb of satire? what Right do they have and above all what kind of joke and satire is this? GEO TV should stop paving the way for Fascism or those who call themselves Liberal should dissociate themselves from GEO or stop calling themselves Liberal because GEO TV is the worst nightmare for any genuine Liberal or Secular (Hamid Mir openly abuse Liberals and Secualr as if Jang Group is Daarul Iftaa) and please wait for Dawn News where Androgynous Syed Talat Hussain is trying his best to transform that channel into Muridke. Why our so-called Liberal Class raise voice against Mullahs? Mullahs conduct is open for everyone. But can anybody predict about the Butchers and Murderers sitting in Jang Group, The News and GEO TV, who conveniently used GEO TV Forum for the brutal murder of Salman Taseer, Shahbaz Bhatti and shamelessly exploited the Memogate from GEO TV and then same Jang Group and GEO TV talks about rationality and conduct shameless shows of Indo-Pak friendship and what not so either Mr. Najam and Ms Jugnu or other such Liberal persons stop appearing on GEO TV or clearly define the policy. I wonder for what Mr. Najam and Ms Maleeha Lodhi have been appointed by the owners? to hoodwink the world or Pakistanis because on one hand the Group editor of The News i.e. Shaheen Sehbai who on record had attacked Mr. Najam and Ms Lodhi. So who is to be believed Najam Sethi, Maleeha Lodhi, Owners Hamid Mir, or that tout Kamran Khan or as Humma Ahmed (Former Foreign National Editor of The News) who called Shaheen Sehbai a Mad Dog "why Mir appointed Shaheen again when Mir himself had declared that Shaheen Loyalty with Pakistan is doubtful" - I wonder what are thoughts of Mr. Najam on this? Third Class Journalists in Jang Group/ The News International/ GEO TV conveniently forget that during 1999 when Saifur Rehman was unleashed on Jang Group/The News http://chagataikhan.blogspot.com/2009/11/conspiracy-kamran-khan-farooq-laghari.html then these very Journalists e.g. Kamran Khan, Imran Aslam (fraud of highest degree), Talat Hussain, Maleeha Lodhi and even the Editor In Chief Mir Shakil ur Rehman (better call him Real Estate Tycoon) appeared in Karachi Press Club "recited Noha and Marsiya" on Press Freedom and what not and the same Jang Group/GEO TV Kamran Khan "shamelessly" invited the same Saifur Rehman on GEO TV in 2009 for Tabbarra Bazi on Asif Ali Zardari and same Jang Group conveniently forgot the "Torture" Mr Najam received at the hands of Saifur Rehman. The so-called Civil Society who call itself Liberal and Secular is even worse than Mullahs, how can they forget all these events of 1999 http://chagataikhan.blogspot.com/2010/11/saeed-mehdi-exposes-kamran-khan-jang.html which are very well recorded by Pakistan Press Foundation. Jang Group, The News International and GEO TV are biggest curse on Pakistan and playing the same Ugly role which was played by Nawae Waqt during Fall of Dhaka - I wonder why Mr. Najam is stil working in this Fascist group. Enough of this Drama daily from 1900 to 0000 by GEO TV anchors crying over alleged Beloved country but Editorial of Jang Group and The News act like Third Reich, Ansar Abbasi, Hamid Mir, and other demented Mohammad Malick act like as if they are the sole proprietors of Pakistan ideology therefore either Mr. Najam should dissociate him from Jang Group or advice Jang Group to stop riding two boats at the same time i.e. Liberal Secular and Islamists. Journalists like Ansar Abbasi, Kamran Khan, Mohammad Malick, Ahmed Noorani, Shaheen Sehbai etc are encroaching liberty in the name of Perverted Ideology which is simply GEO Fascism Mr. Najam is working with Jang Group of Newspapers i.e. GEO TV and also contribute for The News and Jang so Mr. Najam should clearly tell Mir Shakil ur Rehman and his Mini Me Mir Ibrahim to stop playing politics with Pakistan because on one hand GEO TV/Jang Group hires Secular Liberal like Mr. Najam and on other hand this Mir Mafia run the comedy of Aman Ki Asha and unleashed Hounds like Ansar Abbasi, Kamran Khan and Raving Lunatic Hamid Mir (who miss no chance to attack minorities) this drama should be stopped in Jang Group or if it is not stopped then it means that Mr. Najam is in too. Let me give you glimpse of a News group which is known by its Blackmailing, Worst kind of Yellow Journalism, Paid Touts, Wiretapping, Media Trial, Hate Speech, Religious Bigotry and Rumor Mongering.



Do keep in mind while going through the History below that Mr. Kamran Khan on Monday, November 29, 2010, devoted the entire programme to an extended promotional interview of Malik Riaz, the controversial billionaire owner of Bahria Town construction, said also to have recently invested heavily in ARY. The only explanation I could come up with for this remarkable detour was that either Khan now had a home in Bahria Town or that Riaz has now invested in Geo as well. REFERENCE: Have Cake, Will Eat Too FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010 http://cafepyala.blogspot.com/2010/12/have-cake-will-eat-too.html



IT is with a sense of great inadequacy, immense embarrassment that I admit I have never seen, met or talked to Malik Riaz, the property tycoon currently in the news. If this admission makes you think I am a worthless former editor, a rubbish columnist, then don’t feel awkward about expressing your thoughts. You’ll only be mirroring my deepest, most honest assessment of myself, almost writing a chapter of my autobiography for me. Malik Riaz’s power was, and I suspect will remain, so enormous that he was only ever mentioned in the media when he didn’t disapprove of the news item. Exceptions were there but they were just that: exceptions. So now that he is being talked about openly in the media, is his power on the wane? Don’t jump to conclusions. At least six — or was it seven or eight? —journalists who have met the mesmerising man have said he wanted them to talk about him. Well not exactly about him. He actually wanted them to talk about his allegation that his conglomerate had been paying huge sums of money to the chief justice’s son, mainly because of the young man’s lineage. There are suggestions (and nothing more) that this was done to seek judicial favours. It is ironical that none of the journalists were impressed sufficiently with the ‘evidence’ Malik Riaz purportedly exhibited before them to make it the subject of a story. In fact, the journalist who eventually ‘broke’ the story from the US didn’t even say if he had met the gentleman. He didn’t send the story for use by the outlets in the media empire that employs him as one of the apex editors, preferring instead to release it in the form of a web-TV interview from Washington. He denies his own group spurned/spiked his story. Several journalists belonging to this group are now on the list of those who’ll depose before the Supreme Court in a matter which (though there’s no evidence yet) may bring discomfort to the chief justice even though his own role is untarnished. REFERENCE: Great, magical expectations Abbas Nasir 9th June, 2012 http://dawn.com/2012/06/09/great-magical-expectations/

Lekin - 8th june 2012 part 1


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg5h4rOpAM


Post Script: 2012: ISLAMABAD, June 9: ARSALAN SPEAKS OUT: In his statement, Dr Arsalan refuted in strongest terms any relationship, intimacy or acquaintance whatsoever with Malik Riaz, his daughter or son-in-law whose names were also not known to him and that he had never met them in relation to any business deal or for any purpose in or outside Pakistan. He said baseless, frivolous and unfounded allegations had been spread in the electronic and print media in the absence of any cogent and logical evidence acceptable under the law of evidence. Dr Arsalan cited a news item appeared on June 8 in an English Daily to prove that the stand taken against him by Malik Riaz had been denied by latter himself. Therefore, Malik Riaz was liable to be dealt with strictly for dragging Dr Arsalan in the court and maligning the august institution of judiciary, the statement said. Dr Arsalan argued that the statements of TV anchors brought to court record were nothing but “hearsay” as they were allegedly based on the statement of Malik Riaz and thus were inadmissible unless the property tycoon himself appeared before the court and produce admissible evidence. The claims of anchors like Kamran Khan and Hamid Mir and Group Editor of The News Shaheen Sehbai that some material had been shown to them by Malik Riaz suffered from serious contradictions, the statement said, adding that whatever Kamran Khan deposed before the court was an absolute contradiction to what he had said in his talk show on June 5. Similarly, Hamid Mir in his statement exonerated him (Dr Arsalan) by saying that the material shown to him was not worthy of acceptance. Thus these statements should be discarded straight away being inadmissible having absolutely no evidentiary value, Dr Arsalan said, adding that these statements were based on surmises and conjectures. Dr Arsalan also took pride for being the son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry whose integrity, he said, was beyond doubt. “Being a son of such a towering personality I have always been careful in my private and public life. I am a 32-year-old man; I earn my bread and butter through my own business and I submit my income tax returns regularly, which can be verified by any citizen of this country,” he said. The statement argued that the initial burden was upon Malik Riaz to establish the allegations along with explanations to the effect that what the motive was or object behind all the exercise which he wanted to achieve. It said if Malik Riaz had made investments for favouring him (Dr Arsalan) to achieve illegal ulterior motives, he owed an explanation to the court. Explaining his bona fide, Dr Arsalan said that in 2009 he had travelled on his own expense to London, along with his family, and hired a flat — a practice he repeated in 2010 and 2011 for which Rs4.5 million had been deposited through cheque No 1287353 of Standard Chartered Bank Lahore on Aug 15, 2011, by his cousin Muhammad Aamir Rana into Zaid Rehman’s account in Meezan Bank Gulberg branch in Lahore. Zaid Rehman was known to Dr Arsalan through Ahmed Khalil, a cousin of Zaid Rehman and employee of Bahria Town. Dr Arsalan said he did not know from whose credit card the rent of the flat which was around 3,200 pounds per week had been paid. Perhaps, he said, he had stayed for four weeks so that the total rent amounted to 10,000 pounds and when he reached London he had to sign an occupancy agreement by submitting the copy of his passport, therefore the formalities as per rules were completed, however the rent had already been paid. REFERENCE: Tycoon’s plea for larger bench rejected: Arsalan denies links with Malik Riaz BY Nasir Iqbal http://dawn.com/2012/06/10/tycoons-plea-for-larger-bench-rejected-arsalan-denies-links-with-malik-riaz/

Lekin - 8th june 2012 part 2


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn6bl_OrLXA

Is media involved in a coverup in CJ’s son case? June 8th, 2012 http://pakistanmediawatch.com/2012/06/08/is-media-involved-in-a-coverup-in-cjs-son-case/ Kamran Khan GEO TV on Malik Riaz Payroll http://urdu.thenewstribe.com/archives/180679




LAHORE: By the looks of it, the judiciary and Pakistan’s largest land developer are not the only ones whose reputations are on the line in the case involving alleged money received by the chief justice’s son. A mysterious list has been distributed on the premises of Punjab Assembly which put forward some explosive allegations – containing the names of some eight prominent journalists that allegedly received money, plots and other facilities overseas from real estate tycoon Malik Raiz. While it is still unclear who distributed this one-page photocopied list, it has generated immense interest among intelligence agencies, sources familiar with the development said. The list is mired in mystery given that its distributor disappeared off the scene soon after giving the list to some reporters at the Punjab Assembly. The paper reads: “The following list was leaked from Malik Riaz’s office and it contains the list of anchors and journalists who received funds.” According to this list, out of the eight journalists, as many as four anchors/columnists belong to only one media group. The journalist listed atop this list received some Rs28.5 million in three installments through National Bank of Pakistan including a luxury car (a Mercedes Benz). While no one immediately verified – or denied – the contents of the list when contacted, there was immense interest generated by the issue. While the case remains in court, the buzz around the alleged involvement of some members of the media industry has generated as much interest as the involvement of the principal players themselves. Published In The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2012. REFERENCE: Arsalan Iftikhar case: Mysterious list of journalists surfaces By Asad Kharal Published: June 12, 2012 http://tribune.com.pk/story/392417/arsalan-iftikhar-case-mysterious-list-of-journalists-surfaces/

Lekin on Geo News - 10 June 2012 - Part 1


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSz7fYGftPg



ISLAMABAD, June 10: Army officials and retired junior commissioned officers, who claim to have suffered at the hands of Malik Riaz, are hoping that Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani will heed their appeals for the return of their hard earned savings. They had invested this money into the DHA Valley. A retired army officer, Col (retired) Mohammad Akhtar, told Dawn that Gen Kayani should address the concerns of retired JCOs and the families of martyrs since “the loss of their money and land in these tough economic times is not easy.” “I have served in the artillery corps and am now living in a middle-class neighbourhood of the city. I spent my retirement package on the DHA Valley scheme but today I have no plot and no money,” said Col (retired) Akhtar. “I have been part of the army’s regular service in the Sialkot sector after the 1971 war. My brother, Flt Lt Malik Murtaza, lost his life in the same war,” he added. Col (retired) Tariq Kamal, an officer who has served in DHA as director Urban Planning, recently told Dawn: “Those who got cheated in DHA Valley scam include 110,000 civilians, 41,000 serving and retired military officers, jawans and families of martyrs.” Col Kamal, a former DHA official who is now trying to get justice for all those who invested in a plot in the Valley Scheme, told Dawn that the DHA had announced the housing scheme in 2009. “The DHA Valley comprised small-sized plots to help those who could not afford a house in the regular DHA societies where the plot sizes tended to be bigger. “Most DHA plots are one kanal or more,” he added, “though in a few cities we have small plots that are about 300 square yards.” Col Akhtar remembers that when the announcement was made in newspapers, the scheme proved so popular that the application forms were in short supply. “Though they were free, I had to buy the forms from a property dealer for Rs2,000 each in 2009,” he said. However, after the money poured in, DHA made a deal with Malik Riaz and transferred around Rs62 billion to the latter “against the advice of DHAI legal advisers Ahmer Bilal Soofi & Co.” The amount was earned from the sale of all the planned plots in the valley. Since then the housing scheme never saw the light of day. Providing details about the scheme, Col Akhtar said plots measuring 150 square yards and 240 square yards were offered to retired officers such as JCOs and families of martyred soldiers since these smaller parcels of land were more affordable. “The cost was Rs100,000 per 30 square yard,” he added. Located in Zone-V of the capital city, the DHA Valley project was to be some distance from DHA-II. However, three years after it was announced, the area where the proposed society was to be located is barren land. No development has taken place there. According to Col Kamal, “For DHA Valley around 80,000 kanal of land is required in total and this acquisition was never completed.” And those who thought that the scheme would provide them their retirement home have lost their money. Dejected and hurt, Col Akhtar asked rhetorically who would return his Rs800,000 to him. This is the amount he had invested in the project in 2009. “I have approached local property dealers but they say you will only get Rs200,000 since the plots are non-existent and only files are available,” he told Dawn. Asked whether he had approached senior military officials or Gen Kayani himself, he said: “What I do know is that a few senior officers did inform him about the fraud that had affected thousands of retired armymen. I was given the hope that there might be some movement to help us.” “I request Gen Kayani to investigate the matter; fix responsibility and return our hard earned savings. I am a retired colonel and the lost amount is causing me difficulties. Imagine what a retired Subedar or the family of a Sepoy would be going through,” he added. When approached, the public relations officer of Bahria Town, Ms Nida said: “I have already told you that I have no clue about the issue. I can only give you a version by Monday since no official is in contact with me at the moment.” When the army’s media department, the ISPR, was contacted by Dawn, an official said: “We will get back to you after getting an input from the officials concerned.” However, till filing of this story no official statement came from the army. REFERENCE: ‘Victims’ of Malik Riaz look up to army chief Imran Ali Teepu http://dawn.com/2012/06/11/victims-of-malik-riaz-look-up-to-army-chief-2/


Lekin on Geo News - 10 June 2012 - Part 2


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhY9pDgLoGc


Maulana Abdul Aziz at a press briefing told the media that the issue had been settled with the efforts of Interior Minister Rehman Malik and property tycoon Malik Riaz. He further said that the Lal Mosque management had reached an agreement with the local administration as a result of which 20 kanals of land would be allocated for the reconstruction of seminary building in H-11 near graveyard. “We have also okayed the proposed site as it is near to the graves of martyrs of Lal Mosque and Jamia Hafsa,” he added. The year 2011 ends on an alarming and bitter note for Pakistan: succumbing to the incessant pressures from the religio-political groups, the Islamabad Capital Administration, and the Capital Development Authority – with the mediation of the real estate tycoon Riaz Malik – who signed off 2.5 acres of land in H-11 sector for the reconstruction of the Jamia Hafsa that had once stood by the Red Mosque. Originally allotted around 256 square yards for a day-school facility for girls, the seminary went on to occupy four times the space – illegally. It was eventually demolished following the bloody operation on July 10, 2007, and after several attempts by Maulana Aziz, the authorities have now caved in and allowed them 2.5 acres of land for a new Jamia Hafsa, although the Supreme Court had allowed them only reconstruction on the original 256 square yards. So much for the rule of law and the political expedience of the real ruling elite. A warning to all and sundry in Pakistan: religio-political groups can impose their will wherever they want. REFERENCES: Jamia Hafsa given substitute land By: Imran Mukhtar | December 30, 2011 http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/islamabad/30-Dec-2011/jamia-hafsa-given-substitute-land Battlefront Pakistan: A Political Retrospective of 2011 By Imtiaz Gul 4 FEBRUARY 2012  http://www.newslinemagazine.com/2012/02/battlefront-pakistan-a-political-retrospective-of-2011/ Veiled Threats By Massoud Ansari 12 APRIL 2007 http://www.newslinemagazine.com/2007/04/veiled-threats/ Rendezvous With the ‘Others’ By Aliya Salahuddin 14 JULY 2007 http://www.newslinemagazine.com/2007/07/rendezvous-with-the-others/


Army commander killed in line of duty at Lal Masjid Shakeel Anjum Monday, July 09, 2007 ISLAMABAD: The final operation to put down the Lal Masjid revolt is imminent as President General Pervez Musharraf on Sunday gave a go-ahead to the security forces to act decisively. The decision to wrap up the six-day siege of Lal Masjid-Jamia Hafsa complex was taken on the heels of the killing of Lt-Col Haroon Islam by militants early on Sunday morning. Musharraf called a high-level meeting on Monday morning as fresh troops started taking positions around the complex shortly before midnight on Sunday. The guns remained silent all day. An exchange of fire took place as the night fell. This was, however, not as intensive as was witnessed in the past few days. It appeared to be a lull before the storm. Announcements were made on loudspeakers by the security forces asking the Lal Masjid inmates to let them carry the injured to hospitals. Ambulances were also seen moving towards the Lal Masjid. However, none of the injured was evacuated. Earlier, deputy cleric of the Lal Masjid Maulana Abdur Rashid Ghazi while talking to a private TV channel claimed that 305 persons were killed due to the intense firing by the security forces late Saturday night. He claimed that the bodies were lying scattered in different areas of the complex. However, ISPR spokesman Maj-Gen Waheed Arshad and Interior Ministry spokesman Brig (retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema termed the claim of the Lal Masjid cleric as false and without any basis. Ghazi called a press conference in Lal Masjid but no journalist could reach there. The administration later blocked all the mobile phone connections being used by Maulana Ghazi and his supporters in the mosque. The security agencies demolished a major portion of Jamia Hafsa complex early Sunday morning. “The whole complex will be flattened gradually within 24 hours,” the sources said. “About 150 women, children and men are being kept hostages by the militants in different rooms in the basement of the complex,” the sources claimed, quoting statements of Noor Hayat and Shah Akbar, who had escaped from the complex on Sunday. They said they had mapped the point where the innocent people were being kept hostages. Meanwhile, officials who witnessed the killing of Lt-Col Islam said that the late colonel along with Maj Tariq was planting explosives on the boundary wall of the mosque when the extremists sprayed bullets on him. Muhammad Maqsood, guard of Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi, was killed in the retaliatory fire by the security forces, they added.  “Two young Afghan national militants, Fidaullah, 19, commander of security wing, and Khanzada, 18, involved in different incidents of terrorism in Pakistan, fired at Lt-Col Haroon Islam and Maj Tariq,” the sources said. The police have registered FIR No 230 dated 7/13/2007 at the Aabpara Police Station on the complaint of wounded Major Tariq against Ghazi and his aides under Section 302 and 324 PPC and 6/7 ATA (anti-terrorist act) for killing the Army commando, the sources said. “Ghazi is hidden in an underground room in Lal Masjid along with his mother, Sahib Bibi, Auntie Halima (the sister of his father) and sister of his mother, Lal Bibi,” the sources claimed. Meanwhile, the authorities have started releasing innocent persons, arrested during the last five days in the operation. “As many as 748 people have been arrested so far,” the sources said. Of them, 447 accused were in jail while 152, most of them underage, have been handed over to their parents/wards by the prime minister in Jinnah Sports Complex. Some 149 were in different police stations of Islamabad. The criteria of declaring the detained people innocent has been established by the authorities, the sources said, adding: “Three categories of detained persons have been set to fix responsibilities after the screening of the arrested people – white, grey and black. The accused placed in ‘black’ category were involved in heinous offences and would be booked under the anti-terrorist act; ‘grey’ would be booked under less serious offences while ‘white’ would be booked for minor offences under 188 PPC.” The sources said that over 20 inmates were wounded during the late Saturday night firing. “Killings during the crossfire cannot be ruled out,” they said. REFERENCE: Army commander killed in line of duty at Lal Masjid Shakeel Anjum Monday, July 09, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=8908&Cat=13&dt=7/9/2007

Commander’s killing raises spectre of all-out assault By Syed Irfan Raza July 09, 2007 ISLAMABAD, July 8: As the standoff between Lal Masjid militants and security forces entered the sixth day on Sunday, the killing of SSG Commander Lt-Col Haroon Islam by militants raised the possibility of an all-out assault on the complex. After the death of the SSG commando chief during an abortive attempt to enter the mosque, no major exchange of fire took place throughout the day, except for a few shots fired from both sides. Special Services Group Commander received a fatal bullet injury while trying to enter the mosque along with his three colleagues — Maj Tariq, Capt Omar and Capt Bilal. The three commandos received bullet injuries and the condition of Maj Tariq was stated to be critical. In a surprise move late on Sunday night, the security forces closed the camp office of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club situated a few yards away from the ‘no-go area’ within the curfew zone. They also asked journalists to leave the area. The action reinforced the view that security forces were planning to storm the complex. Two students surrendered on Sunday. They have been identified as Akbar Shah and Noor Hayyat. A helicopter flew low over Lal Masjid to take some pictures of the mosque which indicated that the roof of the Jamia Hafsa was intact, but its outer walls had been damaged. The pictures also proved wrong a claim made by Maulana Ghazi that some 300 girl students had died in Saturday night attack. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz presided over a high-level security meeting at which he reiterated the government’s position that the militants must release all hostages, lay down their weapons and submit before the law. “They have not only adopted an uncompromising attitude, but also provoked law-enforcement agencies,” he said. The prime minister said that every possible effort had been made by the government to start dialogue with the Lal Masjid administration, but the response of the militants had always been unreasonable. Meanwhile, some political circles have urged the government to provide a ‘safe passage’ to Lal Masjid Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi to resolve the issue peacefully. However, Interior Minister Aftab Sharpao told reporters that the government would never provide a safe passage to Maulana Ghazi. He said the government was avoiding an attack on the mosque in order to save the lives of innocent students who had been made hostage by hardcore militants. In a separate press conference, Minister for Religious Affairs Ijazul Haq said that some foreign militants were also present inside the mosque and they were fighting alongside local militants against members of the security forces. He said some high-profile terrorists, who were wanted both inside and outside the country, were also holed up in the mosque. He, however, refused to divulge their names and the groups they belonged to. He said there was also information that terrorists involved in the attack on the prime minister in Attock were also present in the mosque. Talking to Dawn, Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah said that at least 15 suicide bombers were present in the mosque and they had been given explosive belts. “We also have information that militants have heavy ammunition, landmines and rocket launchers,” he said. He said the government had cut 12 landline telephones of Lal Masjid and blocked over 80 SIMs of mobile telephones being used by Maulana Ghazi to contact journalists. He said that Lal Masjid militants had made all students, including girls, hostage and injured three girls by firing on their legs when they tried to escape. “We believe that the militants might kill all students and put the blame on the government,” he said. REFERENCE: Commander’s killing raises spectre of all-out assault By Syed Irfan Raza July 09, 2007 Monday Jamadi-us-Sani 23, 1428 http://archives.dawn.com/2007/07/09/top2.htm



Car race case - SC sets aside bail of Bahria Town CE’s son By Hasnaat Malik ISLAMABAD: Expressing annoyance over the grant of protective bail to Ali Riaz, the son of chief executive of Bahria Town, by the Sindh High Court in drag car race in which five people were killed on December 5, the Supreme Court on Monday set aside the bail and observed that the incident took place in Punjab and the SHC could not grant bail. A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday was hearing a suo motu case regarding the killing of five people in the drag race in Rawalpindi last month. Justice Ramday stated: “This is highly illegal and let not anyone be allowed to make mockery of the case and let everyone be equal before the law.” Investigating Officer DIG Major Mubashir appraised the court that Rawalpindi Regional Police Officer (RPO) Mukhtar Gondal and Islamabad police were not cooperating. The CJP asked him to taken up the matter with the Punjab IGP. Punjab Advocate General Khawaja Haris told the court that it was quite surprising that after the incident when the Rawalpindi police raided the residence of the chief executive of Bahria Town, Islamabad police high officials were present there expressing regret over the killing of people in the race. He said some progress had been made as Bahria Town Marketing Manager Waleed Awan, security incharge Col (r) Rafaqat and car driver Majid Naeem had been arrested. He said one of the main accused Sheikh Atif had gone abroad after getting interim bail and now it was federal government’s duty to arrest him through Interpol. The CJP asked the IO to seek the Interior Ministry’s help for Atif’s arrest. “If there will be no response, then the court will pass order,” the CJP observed. The court adjourned the hearing until January 28 on the request of Punjab advocate general. REFERENCE: Car race case SC sets aside bail of Bahria Town CE’s son By Hasnaat Malik Tuesday, January 18, 2011 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C01%5C18%5Cstory_18-1-2011_pg7_32

Lekin on Geo News - 10 June 2012 - Part 3


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufUs-YuKFU4


ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC), while hearing the Bahria Town 1,400 kanals land scam case, on Friday accepted the interim bail of Bahria Town owner Malik Riaz and his son for three weeks. A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani also rejected the plea for exempting Malik Riaz and his son from the appearance before the court. During the hearing, the counsel for Bahria Town, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan appeared before the bench and stated that his client had settled the matter with the affectees of Bahria Town land scam. He also submitted to the court to exempt Riaz and his son from the appearance before the court during the hearing of this case. Anti Corruption Department’s Director Legal Sadqat Hussain said that both the accused were involved in a criminal case, therefore they could not be exempted from appearance. The court accepting his stance rejected the plea of Riaz and his son regarding the matter and adjourned the hearing for three weeks. staff report REFERENCE: SC grants interim bail to Malik Riaz, his son Saturday, November 19, 2011 http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C11%5C19%5Cstory_19-11-2011_pg7_25


RAWALPINDI, Feb 9: The Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court on Friday summoned the head of Behria Town and officials of the Defence Housing Authority and the Punjab Cooperative Housing Department to answer charges of land fraud filed by a housing society. Justice Abdul Shakoor Paracha of the Lahore High Court issued the summons after taking up the petition filed by secretary of the Revenue Department Employees Cooperative Housing Society, Mian Riazuddin, along with nine members of the society, accusing the respondents of occupying the society’s land fraudulently. Their lawyer, Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, told the court that the Society had been established to allot plots to workers of the revenue department of Rawalpindi district. But its administrator merged the whole society into Behria Town and sold all the land to its owner Malik Riaz who subsequently sold it to the Defence Housing Authority. Contending that a society cannot be merged into another society, nor land could be transferred in the name of another person, the petitioners’ counsel termed all these steps “totally illegal”. After hearing his arguments, the learned judge directed that all steps taken and decisions made from June 17, 2004 till now be considered illegal and so non-effective. All this happened due to the mutual collusion of the Cooperative and Housing Societies Department, he observed. Justice Abdul Shakoor Paracha then issued notices to registrar and secretary Punjab Co-operative Housing Societies Department, officials of Defence Housing Authority and Behria Town and also Administrator Col Abdullah Sadiq to appear before the court on February 27 during the next hearing of the case. According to the petitioners, four years after the Revenue Department Employees Cooperative Housing Society was established in 1989 near Morgah, some of its members approached the Lahore High Court and prayed that elections of the society be ordered so that development work could be started. The court issued directives to the Registrar Punjab Cooperative Housing Society to make arrangements for the elections of the society. As such, elections were held on March 31, 2004 on the orders of the superior court. Mian Riazuddin was elected as secretary along with other members for different positions. However, instead of handing over the charge to the newly- elected office-bearers, the petitioners allege, officials of the Cooperative Housing Society, appointed Abdullah Sadiq, a retired colonel, as administrator of the society. The officials argued that the elections were not transparent so the administrator would handle small matters of the society while new elections were arranged within 90 days. However, in February, 2005, Abdullah, in connivance with officials of Punjab Cooperative Housing Department and Behria Town, merged the Revenue Employees Housing Society into Behria Town and transferred all its 2,700 kanal land in the name of its head Malik Riaz. The latter sold the land to Defence Housing Authority for Rs50 million in 2006 and transferred the land in its name. The Defence Housing Authority, after getting occupation of this illegal land, started its Askari 14 scheme on it. REFERENCE: Big realtors summoned by LHC: Fraud case By Bakhtawar Mian February 10, 2007 Saturday Muharram 21, 1428 http://archives.dawn.com/2007/02/10/nat9.htm


ISLAMABAD, Jan 10 In an unusual move, the police have registered two separate cases regarding the gun-battle fought by the armed guards of two real estate tycoons on Friday, right in front of the offices of the city`s top civil and police administrators. Usually police register just one FIR about an incident. Any additional information provided by the complainant – and even a counter-version filed by the rival party – are just attached to the original FIR. But in this case the Margalla police treated the complaints filed by the security guards of Malik Riaz of Bahria Town-fame about the same incident as two separate FIRs. Police sources said that security guard Tasawur Iqbal of Malik Riaz first lodged FIR 19 accusing rival tycoon Malik Tabarak Bari and his 13 alleged accomplices of unleashing unprovoked firing on his party. FIR 20 lodged by his colleague Mohammad Iqbal later alleged that Malik Bari`s men accosted the rival party and opened fire that injured Malik Riaz`s security guard Zafar and a passerby. The accused fled after “terrorizing” the people, according to the FIR.

The case registered by the Margalla police on the basis of FIR 19 cited PPCs 148 (rioting with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 324 (attempt to commit murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 7-ATA (Anti-Terrorism Act). The one registered on the basis of FIR 20 cited the same charges but replaced PPC 353 with PPC 427 (mischief causing damage amounting to Rs50). Both the FIRs nominated Malik Tabarak Bari, Malik Ishrat, Ashar, Ghazanfar, Isthiaq and Naeem along with six to seven unidentified persons as accused. According to the sources, the FIRs were registered after long deliberations among some senior rank police officers at the residence of one of them in F-8/1. A “big shot” and some influential persons also sat in the deliberations, the sources said but did not name them. Police officers have remained inaccessible to the media to comment on the highly embarrassing incident and the one who was available chose to remain silent. “Why are you trying to cost us our jobs,” he said when asked for some insight.

However, about the seeming anomaly in police registering two separate cases on the complaint of one party to the incident, the officer explained that the two complainants referred to two different incidents at separate spots that occurred 30 minutes apart. “Technicalities obliged the police to register separate FIRs,” he said. Until now, no complaint or statement had been received from Malik Tabarak Bari or his companions, he said, assuring that police would “definitely register” a case when one is received. “Definitely police will register a case whenever it received complaint from them,” he added. Some senior police officers and lawyers when contacted said, “an FIR means first information report and it should remain as one”. According to them the three separate FIRs registered by the police in the Murtaza Bhutto murder case was a deliberate act to spoil the investigation and to save some souls. REFERENCE: Clash of titans produces two FIRs from one By Munawer Azeem http://archives.dawn.com/archives/136975


ISLAMABAD, Nov 1: A small contingent of the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary (FC) has taken up guard duties in Bahria Town, allegedly to protect the property tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain who is facing land fraud charges in a Rawalpindi court. Police sources told Dawn that it was unusual to deploy a paramilitary force to protect a private person, that too at the cost of the FC`s more pressing task of providing security to VVIPs and sensitive places. They said the Islamabad police and the Ministry of Interior had to make extraordinary efforts to secure their services for Malik Riaz who feels hunted by people with political clout in the hugely profitable but murky business of property development.Beset with litigations on several fronts, the Bahria Town tycoon used to move in a convoy with personal bodyguards.

Islamabad police were already trying to call FC to his protection when the arrest warrant issued by the Anti-Corruption Court in Rawalpindi for him last week made the tycoon feel more vulnerable. According to police source, SP Rural Zone visited the FC Headquarters in Islamabad on October 15, on the initiative of the Central Police Office and the Interior Ministry, to seek a platoon for his protection but was told that none could be spared. But the top police and interior ministry officials persuaded the FC command to withdraw one of its two platoons guarding the Army Aviation Heliport in the sports complex grounds and redeploy it in Bahria Town. Next day DSP Rural Ahmed Iqbal appeared at the gate of the heliport with police trucks to pick up the platoon but the army officer incharge rejected the idea. He informed his superiors who took up the matter with the prime minister`s secretariat and the transfer of FC personnel to police was abandoned.

However, the Islamabad police hierarchy persisted in their efforts and offered the local FC command policemen exchange for FC personnel. It was after this deal that some 20 FC men took up duties in Bahria Town on October 23 and policemen replaced them in the Diplomatic Enclave, the sources said. In addition to the FC contingent, which has been put in a house, a police post, manned by about a dozen policemen, also exists in the Town which has its own well-organised security system and guards. Questioned about the deployment of FC, a Bahria Town guard merely said: “They are for the boss.” REFERENCE: Paramilitary protection for tycoon Munawer Azeem 2nd November, 2011  http://dawn.com/2011/11/02/paramilitary-protection-for-tycoon/

Lekin on Geo News - 10 June 2012 - Part 4


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJI_CT8TsbI



ISLAMABAD, April 23: District and sessions judge of Islamabad “east” Syed Kausar Abbas Zaidi on Monday directed the Bhara Kahu SHO to register FIR against property tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain and his son in land grabbing case. The judge passed the orders while deciding two identical petitions filed by Islamabad based lawyers against the alleged grabbing of their land measuring 300 kanals by the employees of Malik Riaz. The police in its written reply submitted in the court defended the property tycoon and stated that at the time of the incident when alleged land grabbing and firing took place, neither he nor his son Ali Riaz were present at the spot. The petitioners were also not present at the said location, the reply added. However, after receiving the complaint, the police stated, they reached the spot and arrested some armed men. Expressing dissatisfaction over the police reply, the judge directed them to register FIR within 24 hours. The court order said the police was bound to register the case upon receipt of the complaint and initiate investigation into the matter, and their reluctance in registering the FIR was illegal and unlawful. Raja Haroon, in the petition filed on Saturday, stated that some employees of Bahria Town, at the behest of Malik Riaz, came to the land of his family and other relatives and opened fire on them and warned them to leave the place otherwise be ready to face the consequences.


The petitioner said the attackers bulldozed all the residences, dismantled Wapda poles, electric meters, water system and even hurled threats at the women of the area. The petitioner alleged that Malik Riaz was in the habit of grabbing private properties with the help of police. He said when the Bhara Kahu SHO came to their rescue he was replaced by another inspector Khalid Masood. Mr Haroon said the police was legally bound to register an FIR after receipt of the written complaint but because of their loyalty with the tycoon, they registered the case against the father of the petitioner and other family members. Meanwhile, the district bar association of Islamabad announced to boycott the courts proceedings on Tuesday to protest the actions of Malik Riaz Hussain. The Islamabad bar also requested its members to reach the Constitutional Avenue on Tuesday morning to register their protest. REFERENCE: Book the tycoon and son, court orders From the Newspaper | Malik Asad | 24th April, 2012 http://dawn.com/2012/04/24/book-the-tycoon-and-son-court-orders/


Bahria Town drag race - ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court on Monday directed Punjab police and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to take action against the sponsors of illegal drag race and observed that police officers were trying to save skins of influential persons by making the weak scapegoats. A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Muhammad Sair Ali and Justice Ghulam Rabbani was hearing the suo moto case against the holding of illegal car race that held at Bahria Town, Rawalpindi claimed lives of five persons on December 5, 2010. The court directed the FIA to arrest and bring back Atif Sheikh, the main organiser of the drag race and an absconding accused, through Interpol. The court rejected a patch up between the victims’ families and the accused, terming it dissatisfactory. “If any such compromise has been undertaken, it should be in clear terms and under the ambit of law,” the court noted. The court directed Hamid Khan, counsel for Ali Riaz, son of Bahria Town’s chief executive Malik Riaz Hussain, to produce a clear agreement of compromise. Advocate General Punjab Khawaja Haris told the court that Sheikh had presented a fake medical certificate for getting bail and left to Abu Dhabi from Peshawar. He said an application had been moved for cancellation of his passport and efforts were on to trace and bring him back to the country.To a court query, Haris informed that there were 30 sponsors of the drag race. To another query of court that why action had not been taken against the sponsors and whether there were some hurdles in the way of action due to involvement of influential people in the case, the police investigation officer Rana Mubashir said there was no such hurdle and action was being taken. The chief justice (CJ) however, observed that it seemed as if police officers were trying to save the skins of influential persons by making the weak scapegoats.


During hearing, the CJ said the court was continuously being misled. Reprimanding Hamid Khan, the CJ said, “Don’t involve us in this sin”. He said even the draft of the compromise was wrong. Later, the court adjourned hearing for three weeks. On last hearing, counsels for the accused Naveed Anjam and Syed Zulfiqar Hussain Naqvi, had told the court that a compromise had been reached between the victims’ and the accused parties, adding that victims’ families had forgiven them in the name of Allah. The court had observed that when about 10,000 spectators were there and the advertisements were given in press then how could the owner of Bahria Town remain in dark about the mega event. The chief justice had said that he would not leave the apex court with a guilty mind that influential people were not brought to book. He had noted that prima facie, all these sponsors were also equally responsible for the incident. REFERENCE: SC for action against sponsors * Court rejects settlement between families of organisers and victims By Hasnaat Malik Tuesday, March 01, 2011 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\03\01\story_1-3-2011_pg7_29



ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday disposed of the suo moto case of the drag race, in which five persons were killed last year, with the direction to trial court to decide the case in a transparent manner. During the hearing, Punjab Additional Advocate General Muhammad Hanif Khattana presented a report before the three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, and said that the trial of accused was going on in subordinate courts. He said that Additional Sessions Judge Rawalpindi had converted the section 302 into 322 in the case and declared it accident. The counsel for Bahria Town owner Malik Riaz, Hamid Khan informed the bench that heirs of the five killed persons had pardoned his client after compensation and they had no complaint regarding the matter. The CJP had taken suo motu notice of the deaths of five persons in the race after release of a video on a private television channel showing a car racer losing control over his car and hitting spectators resulting in the death of five persons on December 5 last year. The driver had run away from the spot. Asfand Yar, an 11-year-old child and his father were also among the killed. The child had written an essay in English on “The Accident,” two days before his death. The accident became the real story of his death as he died while watching a drag race along with his family. Four people including Daniyal Khan, Babar Khan, Sohail Khan and Col (r) Mohsin Khan died on the spot, while Asfand Yar was pronounced dead upon reaching the hospital. A woman Jamana Khan and a minor Hamza Iqbal received injuries. REFERENCE: SC disposes of drag race incident case Staff Report Wednesday, November 30, 2011 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\30\story_30-11-2011_pg7_20



ISLAMABAD, Jan 28: A visibly disturbed Supreme Court bench on Friday questioned the probe`s direction in the Bahria car racing case, deciding to summon Syed Kaleem Imam, former IGP Islamabad, for trying to influence the inquiry but only after a written statement of the investigating officer. “Investigating officer Maj (retd) Mubashirullah has been asked to give in writing his statement, thereafter the court will issue notice to the former IG to explain why he was making attempts to influence the investigation,” ordered the three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday. After the investigating officer told the court that the capital`s former IGP had called him to entertain “some affidavits” (compromise statements) from the Bahria Town, Justice Ramday observed: “This country could not  be saved until we start resisting pressure from pygmies. We will call the IG and put him behind the bars.” Five people died on December 5 last year when one of the cars in a drag race in Bahria Town`s Phase VIII lost control and hit spectators.

Presented by counsel Hamid Khan and Zulfikar Naqvi, the bench did not approve the affidavit of Tahira Qaiser, a mother of one of the deceased, saying she was not interested in prosecuting the accused. The court said the affidavit should have come from the deceased`s wife. The SC bench was shocked to learn that the affidavit was placed before the trial court when the bail of Ali Riaz, son of real estate tycoon Malik Riaz, was being sought. The stage of presenting affidavit only comes during the trial. Justice Ramday asked Hamid Khan, a renowned lawyer and author of books on constitution, if he was developing a new jurisprudence by “advancing pleadings” on behalf of a fugitive. “We will not even look upon such affidavit,” Justice Ramday said.

Advocate General Punjab Khawaja Mohammad Haris spilled the beans when he lamented before the court that laws were being abused in the case, saying Ali Riaz after getting protective bail “got associated” with the probe despite the fact that he was required to surrender before a Rawalpindi court in three weeks. Ali Riaz did not appear before the trial court at the time of seeking bail, and presented a medical report saying he was bed-ridden and could not move. Similarly Atif Sheikh, one of the organisers who applied for the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the event, had also submitted a medical report stating he was not in a position to move but left for Dubai on January 16. The doctor who issued the medical report is being probed, Haris said. Sheikh is son-in-law of Tariq Aziz, principal secretary of former President Gen (retired) Pervez Musharraf. Though Haris cited a case in Britain in which a man was extradited from the US for killing a passerby, he admitted that incriminating evidence against Ali Riaz was not available. He said in the absence of Sheikh, it was difficult to establish that Ali Riaz was in complete picture about the event. Haris also admitted that though red warrants had been issued against Sheikh, the relevant authorities were not taking interest, as the case was lingering on. He sought a direction for secretary interior, director general Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and secretary Foreign Affairs to ensure extradition of Sheikh from Dubai, which the bench obliged. REFERENCE: SC not happy with probe into car racing tragedy By Nasir Iqbal | From the Newspaper | 29th January, 2011 http://dawn.com/2011/01/29/sc-not-happy-with-probe-into-car-racing-tragedy/

Lekin on Geo News - 10 June 2012 - Part 5


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjSAF3G16hE



ISLAMABAD: Declaring all cases against him “false and concocted”, a three-member Supreme Court (SC) bench on Tuesday ordered the release of Malik Tabarik Hussain – the man held by police for the murder of Bahria Town security guard Faiz Ahmad – against a surety bond of Rs 500,000. The SC had ordered the arrest of Bahria Town Chairman Malik Riaz Hussain for Faiz’s murder on Monday, while conducting suo moto hearing on an appeal that appeared in newspapers. Tabarik was arrested by Karachi police from Islamabad and the court observed that law enforcement officials had not fulfilled the necessary legal requirements before arresting Hussain. The bench, consisting of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Ghulam Rabbani, however, directed Kohsar police to hold Hussain until he furnished the surety bond. Tabarik was brought to court by Karachi SSP (Investigation) Niaz Khoso and Sohrab Goth Investigation Officer Aneel Khushk.


Aneel informed the bench that Tabarik was charged under sections 324, 427 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code in an FIR registered at Sohrab Goth police station on October 16, 2009. The court, after examining the case records, maintained that the FIR was false and the entire case “concocted and designed”. Air tickets: During the course of the hearing, it was also revealed that the complainant in these cases, Zaheer Ahmed, had provided air tickets to the police party that arrested and moved Tabarik to Karachi. It was also revealed that when police raided Tabarik’s house in Islamabad’s Sector E-7, they were accompanied by dozens of Frontier Constabulary personnel, and after the arrest, Tabarik was detained at FC offices for some time before being moved to Karachi. Tabarik told the court that his 14-year-old son was beaten up by police when he was arrested, and also accused the Investigation Officer Aneel Khushk of taking a Rolex wristwatch from him. The bench was, however, surprised to learn that another case was registered against Tabarik under sections 337, 148 and 149 of the PPC in Karachi in 2003, and that he had been declared an absconder.

At this, Justice Jawwad Khawaja noted that Tabarik had contested the February 2008 general elections as an independent candidate from NA-49 Islamabad and secured over 10,000 votes. He asked the police officials why Tabarik was not arrested earlier if he had been declared an absconder. Justice Khawaja also asked police representatives, as well as Sindh Additional Prosecutor General Saleem Akhtar, to explain why they had not intervened during the scrutiny of Tabarik’s nomination papers. Sardar Asmatullah Khan, counsel for Tabarik’s wife Anjum Riaz, told the court that Bahria Town chairman Malik Riaz Hussain was behind the “false cases” registered against his client’s husband. Asmatullah said Tabarik planned to bring several people – who had been victimised by the Bahria Town chairman – to the Supreme Court on October 26. However, Malik Riaz, using his influence, had Tabarik booked and imprisoned. He alleged that Malik Riaz had illegally acquired thousands of kanals of land from the poor in the areas of Rawat and Sihala at throwaway prices, adding that Riaz had got registered false criminal cases registered against hundreds of such individuals at the Rawat, Sihala, Sadar Bairooni and Civil Lines police stations, just to get his hands on their land.

He maintained that Malik Riaz also wanted to acquire a piece of land owned by Tabarik, and had him arrested when the latter refused to sell. Asmatullah also informed the court that Malik Riaz had recently obtained a decree from an Islamabad civil judge, giving him ownership of over 7,000 kanals of land along the Murree Expressway, and then sold the land to the Defence Housing Authority for Rs 3 billion. After hearing the counsel’s arguments, the court had his contentions against Malik Riaz added to the case record and directed Tabarik to approach the Islamabad’s session judge, who is conducting an inquiry into the matter, for redress of his grievances. The court also ordered SSP Niaz Khoso to take action against the police officials responsible for Tabarak’s wrongful arrest and submit a report to the SC Registrar. REFERENCE: SC throws out cases against man ‘framed’ by Bahria Town’s Malik Riaz * Complainant in ‘fake cases’ provided air tickets to Karachi police to make arrest in Islamabad Wednesday, October 28, 2009 By Masood Rehman http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\10\28\story_28-10-2009_pg7_10


ISLAMABAD: The three-member bench of the Supreme Court deferred further hearing of the suo moto notice case regarding Malik Riaz of Bahria Town and Malik Tabaraq alias Malik Bari till December 6 and summoned investigation report again from police officials on Monday. The three-member bench led by Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday and Justice Gulam Rabbani carried out the hearing. Hamid Khan, counsel for Malik Riaz, stated before the court that a woman, Shamraiza, herself declared that there was no hand of Malik Riaz behind the murder of her husband and he read the declaration on the behalf of the that woman in the court. Justice Ramday remarked that from top to bottom all officers could be bought who have been nominated in the FIR but police did not submit their challan yet. While admonishing the counsel for Malik Bari, Justice Ramday said you are all same and reconcile with each other after taking money. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said that to whom we should pursuit and who prepared police report. On this SSP Tahir Alam said that police officer Saqib Sultan had formed the report. The chief justice asked that why the accused were not arrested yet and said that the FIR was clear but you did not want to do something. The court adjourned further hearing till December 6 and summoned Shamraiza, widow of the murdered guard, on next date. REFERENCE: SC adjourns hearing in Malik Riaz, Malik Bari case till Dec 6 News Desk Tuesday, November 30, 2010 From Print Edition http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-18053-SC-adjourns-hearing-in-Malik-Riaz-Malik-Bari-case-till-Dec-6