Rangers, NAB, FIA join hands to check corruption in Sindh

ISLAMABAD: In a decisive move to effectively check corruption and terror financing in Karachi and the interior of Sindh, a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has been constituted in the provincial capital for extraordinary coordination among the Rangers, NAB and the FIA to ensure that no looter and plunderer escapes.
The NAB headquarters in Islamabad early this month notified the formation of a JIT with the mandate “to investigate land grabbing/China cutting of government land/properties in connivance with the officials of KDA/KMC and others through corruption and corrupt practices and use proceeds of crime in money laundering”.
In order to unearth the activities of the corruption mafia, the notification said the chairman NAB in exercise of power vested under Section 18(d) of NAO, 1999 has decided to constitute a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in the subject case.
It is said that the JIT will comprise Farman Ullah Khan, director NAB, Jawwad Hassan, assistant director NAB, S M Rizwanullah, JIO NAB, Altaf Arain, additional director FIA, Abdul Rauf Sheikh, assistant director FIA, Raees Ahmed, Inspector FIA, and Rashid Khan, DSR Pakistan Rangers Sindh.
According to the NAB notification, “Babar Mirza Chugtai, Faisal Masroor Siddiqui, Mujeebullah and others are prima facie involved in the commission of offences under the provision of National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999 through land grabbing/China cutting of government land/properties in connivance with officials of KDA/KMC and use of proceeds of crime money in money laundering and it is necessary to initiate proceedings against them.”
The NAB sources explained that this JIT would stay on to assist the Rangers in its operation against the corrupt mafia. It is said that it was not legally possible for the Rangers to get the corrupt and those involved in money laundering, China-cutting and land grabbing fixed because of its limited mandate. Therefore, the mechanism of NAB-led JIT comprising

representatives of Rangers and FIA has been evolved to tighten the noose around the corrupt whether those involved in white-collar crimes or in terror/violence financing.
Under this mechanism, in cases of corruption and while-collar crimes where the Rangers could not proceed against the persons involved because of limitations of its mandate, the FIA or NAB would intervene and formally book the accused.
Already, two to three meetings of the JIT have been held to discuss certain cases of corruption for effective action. The basic purpose of the JIT is to discuss all different aspects of the corruption cases and then decide as to which agency or department should legally proceed against the corrupt.
Sources said that this mechanism has been evolved to support the present Rangers-led operation against corruption, China cutting, land grabbing, terror financing, etc.
Before the setting up of this new arrangement, it was noticed that cases of some builders and contractors involved in China cutting were referred to the police for the registration of FIRs but it could not be done because the police had no such powers.
Similarly, the Rangers in a land grabbing case had arrested some accused and got hold of some bank officials involved in sending crime proceeds. The JIT decided to refer the case to the FIA, which is mandated to check such corruption.
It is believed that the case of Dr Asim, who was arrested by the Rangers on Wednesday, will also be brought before the JIT to decide which allegation against the former petroleum minister and close buddy of ex-President Asif Ali Zardari will be referred to which agency.
Although, none of the government agencies including the Rangers confirmed the arrest of Dr Asim till the filing of the report, sources said that Rangers would produce Dr Asim before a court on Thursday to get his 90-day remand.