KARACHI: An accountability court on Wednesday sentenced two men to seven years in prison in a case relating to fraudulent sale of government land in Karachi.The accountability court judge found Aleemuddin and Haroon Panjwani guilty as the National Accountability Bureau successfully proved its case againstthem. The court also imposed a fine of Rs20 million on each convict.

NAB had arrested Aleemuddin and Haroon Paniwani in June 2017.Later, the federal anti-graft watchdog filed a reference against them, alleging that Aleemuddin, Mansoor Ahmed and Asad Abbasi had fraudulently sold government land against a sale consideration of Rs39.7m to Haroon Panjwani, who then fraudulently sold the same land to the general public, claiming it was regularised Goth-Abad land.

The bureau allegedthat the accused cheated more than 500 persons by selling approximately 582 plots of various categories in Hassan Brohi Goth in Deh Nagan, District West.

It had further alleged that the accused also established a colony on the land in Hassan Brohl Goth and cheated the public of Rs187m by selling them illegally demarcated plots and illegally constructedhouses on the land.

They handed over fake documents to the public showing the land was regularised by the government under the Goth-Abad Housing Scheme Act, 1987, it added.-Staff Reporter