Was MQM involved in a Rs 450 bln Real Estate scam?

A news report surfaced 6th May in The News titled Rs450b real estate scam leaves MQM red-faced which outlined how Former Minister for Housing Syed Safwanullah, who belonged to the MQM, allegedly issued 3,281 eligibility certificates for government properties and accommodations in Karachi estimated to be worth Rs450 billion among favored individuals, few retired government officials and ordinary public.

The news report went on to explain ‘When the scam first came to light MQM leaders vehemently denied any wrongdoing by the former minister and tried to hush up the matter. The matter became so that Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani had to intervene and announced cancellation of all allotments and ordered all those who were occupying the properties to be ejected immediately’. It may definitely appear that the new PPP led government may have leveraged this scam to test the waters on its fragile love-hate relationship with the MQM.

What surprised everyone of us was the following day The News reports Master file of Karachi real estate scam disappears where a few credible sources say that the specific file pertaining to the secret official record and copies of 3,128 eligibility certificates of government properties sold in Karachi in open market and the official correspondence of former housing minister Safwanullah, has been stolen from the housing ministry

Without pointing fingers per se, it can easily be perceived as to who may truly have walked way with the ‘Master File’. I was personally alerted of this real estate scam incident almost a day before precisely on the 5th of April, the source claimed that MQM Rabta committee was in a fix and for the party to escape from this mess it was decided to pin the blame on Safwan alone to the extent that Farooq Sattar was seen to have publicly ‘slapped’ the ex-minster to ‘show the world’ of the disgrace he brought to the party. The source claims the slap was delivered upon the instructions of some aide on the phone who is speculated to have been Salim Shahzad

It must be remembered that Karachi’s political grapevine is very resourceful when it comes to matters such as these, oft you have to take face value of any narration that you become privy of, but one gingerly tackles the updates related to MQM, I too skimmed it across, but realized the urgency when it was confirmed a day later when the news item appeared in the News, it made perfect sense.

Who might be truly to blame is probably up to an independent inquiry to figure out, but little can you do with heresy, while the evidence remains elusive. I may have speculated to have almost accused MQM in this fiasco, I turn towards your analysis as to Who is responsible for this mess. Some may immediately point fingers at the Army for having lead by example as they remain the biggest real estate scammers of our country. In this particular case the 450 billion is not exactly spare change for Pakistan, but then again whosoever said public servants work for the people of Pakistan….


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7 responses to “Was MQM involved in a Rs 450 bln Real Estate scam?”

  1. Tahseen Alam Khan Avatar
    Tahseen Alam Khan

    Ab bhi hum khamoosh hain

  2. Tahseen Alam Khan Avatar
    Tahseen Alam Khan

    Dahar ke ghum se huaa rabt to ham bhool gaye
    Sarv qaamat ki javani ko qiamat likhna

  3. BK Avatar
    BK

    I am sure if it was PPP, title of this post would have been “PPP and Zardari involved in Rs. 450b Fraud!!” not “Is PPP involved in Rs. 450b Fraud?”

    You are such as biased person.

    Growup!

  4. Liaquat Ali Avatar

    It would be interesting if the MQM asked government employees and others, from across the country, who are in the similar situation the Karachi allotees were, that is, waiting for decades to get regularized, to contact the MQM.

    The MQM could then go through similar motions and put the pressure on the current Housing Minister to get those people regularized.

    In the process, the MQM could gain political mileage across the country.

  5. Jumma Khan Avatar
    Jumma Khan

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan has this cardinal rule etched in its building:

    “Una da banda ke sada banda?”

    Translation: “Their man or our man?”

    That is the supreme basis for the “law” in the land.

    Ta-as-sub (bigotry) is a “great” Pakistani product. The better name for Pakistan would be Taassubistan.

    If Pakistan made an industry out of ta-as-sub, found international clients, and started exporting it in cans, Taassubistan would be very rich country.

    Unfortunately they would have to ship these cans, to their international clients, through the real ports of Karachi.

    One can make dry ports out of ta-as-sub, but one cannot export anything, including cans of ta-as-sub, out of dry ports.

  6. shobz Avatar

    i can believe it coz it is true. both the coalition parties were involved in the scam. the head honchos of the two parties had endorsed it and got their own cut from this scheme.

  7. sharif Avatar
    sharif

    May allah distroyed MQM on 28.9.2008 they killed wife of pakhton police officer in karachi the gunmen were supporting by MQM