PESHAWAR: An accountability court on Tuesday remanded four persons, including former provincial minister Makhdum Murid Kazim, in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau for nine days in a case of alleged illegal transfer of precious government land to the Naval Families Rehabilitation Organisation (NFRO) and other individuals.

The judge Mohammad Ibrahim Khan directed that the four suspects -Murid Kazim, the then district officer (revenue & estate) currently posted as assistant commissioner Lakki Marwat, Qayyum Nawaz, district officer revenue and estate Riaz Mohammad, and an assistant at the board of revenue department, Gul Hassan -should be again produced on Aug 13.

NAB prosecutors Danyal Chamkani and Riaz Mohmand stated that the suspect Murid Kazim in connivance with the other three officials illegally transferred valuable state land measuring 1,976 Kanals situated in DI Khan to NFRO in 2010. Subsequently, he also unlawfully transferred 182 Kanals of residential land to officers of revenue department as kickbacks.

They said in 2009 the director NFRO, Bahawalpur, sent an application stating that about 1,976 Kanals of land allotted to Pakistan Navy in DI Khan was not cultivable therefore it should be exchanged with better and cultivable land.

The NAB prosecutors claimed as per rules, allotment of alternate land was the prerogative of chief minister of the province, but the suspect Murid Kazim being revenue minister abused his authority and directed the provincial 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 of land to the organisation.

They alleged that the suspect 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.