The Accountability Court hearing the multibillion rupees fake bank accounts case on Monday turned down National Accountability Bureau's request to extend physical remand of Liaquat Qaimkhani, former Director General (Parks), Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), and sent him to jail.

The NAB officials produced Qaimkhani before Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir on expiry of his physical remand. The NAB prosecutor requested the court to extend physical remand of the accused for another 14 days to conduct further investigations from him.

Qaimkhani is facing charges regarding illegal allotment of Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim land to real estate giant Bahria Town for its Icon Tower in Karachi. While objecting to the NAB's request, the defense counsel said that Icon Towner still exists and asked if any efforts have been made to sell Icon tower. "Did any efforts have been made to take back the same land?" he further asked.

He said that the NAB has arrested the DG parks who had been retired seven years ago but did not question any official of the land department. The NAB prosecutor said that the accused was the custodian of the Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim land at the time when it was illegally allotted. "If he (Qaimkhani) had been retired in 2011 then why he kept original record with him," the prosecutor said, adding that the accused had intentionally hidden maps and record of Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim land.

He said that NAB team has recovered original maps and record of Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim land from the residence of the accused. "We suspect that the accused has also hidden more record," he said.

The court after hearing the arguments of both the parties reserved its verdict for sometime. The judge while announcing its reserved judgment rejected the NAB request and sent the accused to jail on 14-day judicial remand. The NAB had reportedly raided Qaimkhani's secret coffer and confiscated gold coins, prize bonds, five sets of expensive jewelry and foreign currency.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019