Pakistan must refrain from ‘adventurism’ in Afghanistan, says Kamal

Pak Sarzameen Party Chairman Mustafa Kamal urged the federal government on Saturday to refrain from “adventurism” in their policy towards Afghanistan post-Taliban takeover.

He was speaking to journalists after his hearing at an accountability court in Karachi in a case pertaining to illegally allotting an amenity plot to Bahria Town for the construction of an elite high-rise building.

Kamal said the parliamentarians should bear in mind that Pakistan had already paid enough for the “malafide policies” of the governments in the past and they should not repeat the same mistake.

He added that the Nato forces had been defeated in their 20-year-long war in Afghanistan and it was assumed that Pakistan had played a role in the victory of Taliban.

He said the situation of this region had changed after the Taliban took over Kabul, and things about the future were uncertain now. He said that the whole world was watching these events carefully.

The PSP chief added that the current global political scenario had posed more challenges to Pakistan since it was a key player in the region and a peaceful future would depend on handling these affairs amicably.

He said that these so-called superpowers which suffered defeats in Afghanistan would come back for revenge and if they did so Pakistan would be on top of the list for the first offensives.

He said that these powers would not have to land their forces in the country, but they would try to escalate the already existing tensions like it happened in the past in the name of religion, sect and ethnicity. He said that peace in Afghanistan was in the best interest of Pakistan.

Earlier in the day, the accountability court-III examined documentary evidence produced by a witness in the case against Kamal and nine others, including real estate developers and government land officials.

The judge later adjourned the hearing till September 18 on the request of prosecution and defence counsel who sought time to prepare to put their arguments on the evidence.

The court had framed charges on the former Karachi mayor and nine others in November 2020 for alleged illegal allotment of over 6,000-yard land to a private builder.

Besides him, then district coordination officer Fazlur Rehman, then executive district officer Iftikhar Qaimkhani, then district officer Mumtaz Haider, then additional DO Syed Nishat Ali and then Clifton sub-registrar-II Nazir Zardari, four builders, Mohammad Dawood, Muhammad Yaqoob, Muhammad Irfan and Muhammad Rafiq, all associated with DJ Builders and Developers, were indicted in the case.

The judge had bifurcated the case against the private builder, who is allegedly absconding abroad, after issuing a perpetual warrant for his arrest.

According to the National Accountability Bureau, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation in 1982 had created 198 stalls/shops on two amenity plots adjacent to the Kothari Parade for dislocated hawkers while four commercial plots, each measuring 255.55 sq yd, were also created in the locality.

It alleged that a builder purchased four commercial plots and 198 stalls of the hawkers. However, the two amenity plots were never transferred in the builder’s name.

NAB further alleged that those associated with the builder’s company with connivance of then Karachi mayor Kamal, then DCO Rehman and others unlawfully got transferred 102 stalls in favour of the private builder through a conveyance deed without obtaining permission from the Karachi Development Authority.

The reference claimed the price of these stalls was shown in the registration deed as only Rs260 million whereas the market value was assessed at Rs2.155 billion and forced sale value was adjudged at Rs1.724 billion.

The watchdog claimed the private builder was the subsequent beneficiary of the amalgamated plot, which was illegally transferred in the name of his compay with the active connivance of the main beneficiary and the sub-registrar-II, Clifton.