Sindh govt-builder ‘nexus’ blamed for FIR against CAA chief, others
KARACHI: Following registration of a criminal case against the director general of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and other officers on the complaint of an influential builder, the aviation regulator on Monday blamed an alleged nexus between the Sindh government, police high-ups and the builder behind such a drastic step against a top bureaucrat of the country.
While the CAA issued a hard-hitting press release after registration of the FIR, the provincial government and the Sindh police remained tight-lipped over the allegations of a federal organisation that said that the builder wanted to grab a piece of its land near Karachi airport.
Official sources said that an old dispute between the CAA and Saima Builders over ownership of a piece of land near the airport was intensified on July 5 when the builder, backed by heavy contingent of police, attempted to construct a road for its housing project.
The CAA had resisted the bid, got the work stopped and deployed its guards and vehicles and installed banners announcing that the said land belonged to it.
Police register criminal intimidation, rioting case on Saima Builders’ complaint; aviation regulator says its DG will not obtain bail
However, it said personnel of Sindh police came there late in the evening, manhandled CAA guards, arrested them and damaged some vehicles parked there during night time.
The builder managed to construct the road for its Saima Green Residencia project, it added.
Later, the builder had lodged an FIR (77/2023) against CAA chief Khaqan Murtaza and seven other officers under Section 147 (rioting), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 109 (abetment) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Airport police station.
“The director general of the CAA being a representative of the federal government had foiled an attempt to illegally occupy the land of the CAA; therefore, he will not obtain bail from court [in this case,” declared a spokesperson for the CAA in a statement issued on Monday.
Plan to seek FIA probe
The CAA said that it would approach the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to initiate an inquiry into alleged irregularities in allotment of land by the Sindh government for the housing project of Saima Builders.
“In the past, the CAA had foiled twice attempts to occupy its land worth billions of rupees by corrupt officials of the Sindh government and private property dealer,” the statement said, adding that the apex court had intervened and ordered authorities to vacate the land.
“The CAA will not allow any illegal occupation of the land belonging to the federal government and take strict legal action against anyone involved,” the statement added.
It said that the land in question was given to the CAA in 1993 through a ‘land exchange’ deal by the then Sindh government.
In 2006, land grabbers attempted to occupy the land and the CAA filed a petition before the Sindh High Court that issued a stay order in its favour, the statement said.
Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2023