The National Accountability Bureau has completed its initial inquiry into alleged multibillion rupee irregularities in the Lyari Expressway Resettlement Project in Karachi, with the case now moving into the formal investigation stage.
According to sources, evidence collected during the preliminary inquiry revealed suspected illegal allotments, china cutting, and fake plot allocations linked to the resettlement scheme. NAB officials have also seized thousands of plot files and related records during raids conducted as part of the investigation.
Sources said nearly 65 percent of the seized files contained allegedly fake allotment orders. The documents reportedly carried signatures of assistant directors of land and executive engineers, raising concerns about possible involvement of government officials in the alleged fraud.
NAB officials have also placed the names of six suspects, including officials, on the Passport Control List to prevent them from leaving the country during the investigation process.
Investigators further alleged that around 20 acres of land associated with the project were fraudulently sold to outsiders. The investigation team has separately recommended another inquiry into alleged irregularities worth around Rs. 8 billion linked to the scheme.
The Lyari Expressway Resettlement Project was a joint initiative of the federal and Sindh governments aimed at rehabilitating nearly 250,000 residents affected by the Lyari Expressway construction.
The project has remained under implementation since 2001, with the federal government contributing 67 percent of the funding and the Sindh government providing the remaining 33 percent.
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