PESH AWAR: The National Accountability Bureau, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Monday arrested four persons including former provincial minister Makhdum Syed Murid Kazim and three revenue of ficials on charges of corruption and misuse of authority in a case of alleged illegal transfer of precious government land to the Naval Families Rehabilitation Organisation (NFRO) and other individuals.

The arrested persons -Syed Murid Kazim; Qayyum Nawaz , the then district officer (revenue and estate) currently posted as assistant commissioner in Lakki Marwat; Riaz Mohammad, the district officer revenue and estate; and Gul Hassan, an assistant at Board of Revenue -will be produced before an accountability court on Tuesday (today)for getting their physical remand.

The NAB alleges that Murid Kazim and the three officials were involved in illegal transfer of 1,976-Kanal valuable state land, situated in Dera Ismail Khan, as alternate land to NFRO in 2010 and subsequently unlawful transfer of 182-Kanal residential land to officers/officials of revenue department as kickbacks.

In a press release, it is claimed that NAB chairman rejected the voluntary return application of the suspects and ordered to arrest them without any delay.

A meeting of the executive board of NAB on July 15 authorised investigation in the case. The meeting also decided to refer the case of retired Commodore Sarfaraz Afzal of NFRO to Pakistan Navy for appropriate action as per rules.

Mr Kazim was elected as independent MPA during the 2008 general elections from PK-68 DI Khan. Later he joined Awami National Party and served as provincial minister for revenue.

He lost the 2013 general elections while contesting on ANP`s ticket.

According to NAB, in 2009 the director of NFRO, Bahawalpur, sent an application, stating that about 1,976-Kanal land allotted toPakistan Navy in DI Khan was not cultivable therefore it may be exchanged with better and cultivable land.

As per rules, allotment of alternate land was the competency of chief minister of the province, but Mr Kazim being revenue minister misused his authority and directed Board of Revenue to put up note for allotment of alternate land to NFRO Bahawalpur and gave illegal approval to the transfer of 1,976-Kanal land to the organisation.

The release says that Riaz Mohammad allegedly included valuable commercial and residential properties in the proposal which were later on illegally allotted to officers and officials of revenue department. It is alleged that Mr Kazim got allotted 50-Kanal land in the name of his close associate Sye d At ta Hussain Shah. Similarly, Gul Hassan allegedly got 33-Kanal land in DI Khan and Qayyum Nawaz got four Kanals and three marlas in the heart of DI Khan City.

The NAB claims that 100-Kanal land worth millions of rupees has already been vacated as voluntary return and has been returned to government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.