PESHAWAR: An accountability court here on Wednesday sent four suspects, including provincial minister Makhdoom Syed Mureed Kazim, to prison on judicial remand in an illegalland transfercase.

Judge Tariq Yousafzai ordered the production of suspects in the court on Sept 2 after the completion of their 14 days judicial custody.

The four, including Mureed Kazim, then district officer (revenue and estate) and incumbent assistant commissioner in Lakki Marwat Qayyum Nawaz, district officer (revenue and estate) Riaz Mohammad and assistant at Board of Revenue department Gul Hassan, were arrested by the National Accountability Bureau Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Aug 3 on the charges of alleged illegal transfer of precious government land to the Naval Families Rehabilitation Organisation (NFRO) and other individuals.

The NAB had produced them before the court after completion of physical custody.

NAB special prosecutor Riaz Mohmand told the court that the four were arrested for corruption and misuse of power.

He said Mureed Kazim in connivance with the three other officials were involved in the illegal transfer of valuable 1976 kanals state land in DI Khan as alternate land to NFRO in 2010 and subsequently the unlawful transfer of 182 kanals of residential land to officials of the revenue department and otherindividuals askickbacks.

The NAB prosecutor said the bureau had completed investigation from suspects.

In a meeting on July 15, the NAB executive board had authorised investigation into the case.

The said meeting had further decided to refer the case of Cdr (r) Sarfaraz Afzal of the NFRO to the Pakistan Navy for appropriate action in line with rules.

Mureed Kazim was elected independent MPA from PK-68 DI Khan during the 2008 general elections. He later joined Awami National Party and served as the provincial revenue minister.

The NAB alleged that the modus operandi adopted by the suspects was that in 2009, the NFRO Bahawalpur director sent an application claiming 1976 kanals of land allotted to the Pakistan Navy in DI Khan was not cultivable and therefore, it might be exchanged with better and cultivable land.

Under the rules, allotment of alternate land was the privilege of the chief minister. However, Mureed Kazim as the revenue minister abused his authority and directed the provincial Board of Revenue to put up a note for allotment of alternate land to NFRO Bahawalpur and illegally approved the transfer of 19761(anals of land to the organisation.

According to the NAB, Mureed Kazim got allotted 50 kanals of land in the name of his close associate, Syed Atta Hussain Shah.

Similarly, Gul Hassan got 33 kanals of land in DI Khan and Qayyum Nawaz land measuring four kanals and three marlas in the heart of DI Khan city.