Corruption inquiry against PPP legislator, brothers stalled

KARACHI: The investigation initiated against a woman legislator, Member of National Assembly (MNA) Mehreen Bhutto and her three brothers by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Sindh Zone-II, could not be concluded despite the passage of eight years. Mehreen belongs to the Pakistan Peoples Party.

A complaint was filed against MNA Bhutto in 2014, which was formally converted into an inquiry in 2019. During the period, at least five notices were served on MNA Bhutto under Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.PC) but she did not appear before Enquiry Officer Inspector Muhammad Sannaullah Khan of FIA, Sindh, Zone-II.

Mehreen Bhutto, a resident of district Khiarpur, Sindh, was elected as an MNA for the second time on reserved seat for women in 2018 general elections. She is the wife of another PPP MNA from Khairpur district Syed Javed Shah Jeelani.

As per the official record of FIA, an inquiry number 66 of 2019 was registered at FIA Sindh Zone-II on the written complaint submitted by a local citizen Zulifqar Ali Phulpoto, resident of village Wari, District Khairpur, against Mrs Mehreen Bhutto and her three brothers Arif Hussain Bhutto, Deputy Manager Stores, Sukkur Electric Power Supply Company (SEPCO), Asif Hussain Bhutto, Executive Engineer, TL Division of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) and Kashif Hussain Bhutto, government contractor. The complainant said they were involved in mega corruption and had made properties worth millions of rupees in Khairpur, Gambat, Sukkur, Islamabad, Karachi, Hyderabed and other cities.

As per the FIA report, MNA Mehreen Bhutto owned five immovable properties in Khairpur. Besides, she was a director of AAA travels, Karachi. MNA Bhutto’s brother Arif Husain Bhutto produced the record of his nine properties located in Khairpur and Bahria Town Karachi, but he did not disclose his source of income. He showed himself as a businessman instead of a government employee. Arif Hussain Bhutto purchased a plot of 4,600 square yards but he was unable to disclose the source of money. He also did not declare it in his annual tax returns and wealth statement submitted by him in FBR till 2017 but declared it in returns of 2017-18; then he transferred the property to his brother Kashif Hussain Bhutto, a government contractor. Arif Hussain Bhutto in his income tax returns before the FBR in the year 2013-14 stated receiving Rs5 million against TDR but did not mention against which property. Properties purchased by Arif Hussain Bhutto from 2009 to 2017 were not declared in his Annual Tax Return (wealth Statement). But they were declared during the financial year 2017-2018.

The second brother of MNA Bhutto Asif Hussain Bhutto showed in his assets’ declaration for the tax year 2019 that a Plot No.15 of 166 sq yards in Hyderabad was purchased in the year 2018 against an amount of Rs2.5 million but the source of purchase was not mentioned. There were several other properties purchased by him.

The third brother of MNA Bhutto Kashif Hussain Bhutto owned 15 immovable properties situated in Karachi, Khairpur and Islamabad as disclosed by him in his statement before FIA, but he did not provide the details of the source of purchase and record of properties.

MNA Mehreen Bhutto told this reporter that she and her three brothers were innocent, and investigation of the FIA was based on baseless allegations. Complainant Zulifqar Phulpoto said both the government officer and contractor are owners of billions of rupees properties and had also encroached a state land of Pakistan Railwayd.

This reporter approached Dr. Wasi Hyder, Additional Director FIA, Zone-II and the three brothers by called at their phone and WhatsApp numbers, as well as a reminder but till the filing of the story, he did not respond.