NAB Escalates Probe into Massive Rs2 Billion RDA Financial Scandal
The National Accountability Bureau has significantly intensified its investigation into what appears to be one of the most substantial financial scandals involving development authorities in recent memory. According to official documents and correspondence, the anti-corruption watchdog has formally tightened its scrutiny around forty-eight individuals allegedly connected to the embezzlement and unauthorized transfer of funds exceeding Rs2 billion from official accounts of the Rawalpindi Development Authority.
Wide Net Cast Across Multiple Development Authorities
In a sweeping move that demonstrates the investigation's expanding scope, NAB has issued formal letters requesting comprehensive asset declarations from director generals of multiple development authorities across Pakistan. The list includes senior officials from the Capital Development Authority in Islamabad, Gwadar Development Authority, Lahore Development Authority, Karachi Development Authority, Malir Development Authority, Peshawar Development Authority, Quetta Development Authority, and of course, the Rawalpindi Development Authority itself.
Prominent Names Under Scrutiny
The individuals required to submit detailed asset information include some of the most senior figures connected to the RDA's operations over recent years. Current RDA Director General Kanza Murtaza finds herself among those compelled to provide financial disclosures. She is joined by eight former director generals of the authority, including:
- Amira Khan
- Chaudhry Maqbool Ahmed Dhawla
- The late Abdul Sattar Isani
- Nadeem Ahmed Abro
- Gulzar Hussain Shah
- Captain Tahir Zafar Abbasi
- Saif Anwar Jappa
Additionally, numerous other senior officials and administrative personnel have been named in the investigation, bringing the total number of individuals under scrutiny to forty-eight. The list encompasses former directors of administration and finance, including Shahid Marath, as well as other significant figures such as Amir Sohail Kaifi, Khalid Javed Goraya, Malik Ghazanfar Ali, Saba Gul, and Asif Mahmood Janjua.
Legal Framework and Submission Requirements
The National Accountability Bureau has invoked Section 19 of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 to legally compel these asset disclosures. This provision grants NAB extensive powers to investigate financial irregularities and demand comprehensive financial information from individuals under suspicion. All requested asset details must be submitted directly to Assistant Director NAB Rawalpindi-Islamabad Hamza Iqbal, who is overseeing this specific aspect of the ongoing inquiry.
Parallel Development: Official Residence Sealed
In a related development that underscores the investigation's serious nature, authorities have formally sealed the official residence of the late Junaid Taj Bhatti, who served as Director General of the Parks and Horticulture Authority in Sialkot and previously as Deputy Director of the Rawalpindi Development Authority. Bhatti, who allegedly died by suicide in his office earlier, had his government residence at 37-A Civil Lines, Rawalpindi vacated and sealed under the supervision of investigative agencies.
Despite formal applications from the deceased officer's widow requesting permission to continue residing in the official accommodation, the residence has instead been reallocated to another RDA officer. This action occurred as personal belongings were removed from the premises and transferred to an alternate location. Notably, during Bhatti's tenure at RDA, the National Accountability Bureau had already initiated its inquiry into the alleged transfer of funds exceeding Rs2 billion from official government accounts through what investigators describe as suspicious financial instruments.
The investigation centers on allegations that substantial sums were improperly transferred from RDA's official accounts and contractors' security deposits through mechanisms described as CDRs (Credit Deposit Receipts or similar financial instruments). The scale of the alleged embezzlement—surpassing two billion rupees—makes this one of the most significant corruption cases currently under investigation by Pakistan's premier anti-corruption agency.
