Sindh’s old corruption cases return to the spotlight as NAB revives investigations

Years-old corruption cases involving government land, alleged illegal appointments and billions of rupees in suspected financial irregularities have returned to the spotlight in Sindh, with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) seeking records and reviving investigations into several long-running cases.

In the latest episode of On My Radar, Kamran Khan said NAB had reopened several cases that had remained dormant for years and established a special unit at its Karachi office to investigate them. The cases range from the alleged illegal allotment and regularization of thousands of acres of government land to more than 13,000 suspected illegal appointments and 10 major corruption references involving more than Rs40 billion.

The most significant investigation concerns government land in Karachi. NAB has sought records of 270 cases from the Sindh Revenue Department involving the alleged illegal allotment, regularization and manipulation of records relating to more than 6,000 acres.

Among these are 130 cases involving 2,665 acres that were regularized through the Sindh Land Committee. Much of the land is located in central and affluent parts of Karachi. According to the allegations, most of it was allotted to influential individuals between 1993 and 1996 at rates ranging from just Rs10 to Rs20 per square yard. Several allottees allegedly failed to pay even those amounts, yet the land was subsequently regularized between 2009 and 2012.

NAB has also sought records concerning another 1,107 acres allegedly allotted between 2021 and 2023 to individuals and entities associated with what has been described as the “system” operating in Sindh.

The issue is particularly significant because the Supreme Court had imposed a ban in November 2012 on the allotment and transfer of government land in Sindh. Despite the restriction, allegations suggest that government land continued to be allotted through the so-called “system”.

The bureau has separately sought records of changes made to 117 land accounts covering 2,315 acres in Karachi's Malir district. The investigation includes allegations that billions of rupees worth of government land were acquired through fraudulent alterations to official records.

The crackdown also extends beyond land. NAB has sought records of more than 13,000 alleged illegal appointments in various local government institutions across Sindh. The appointments, reportedly made between 2011 and 2014 in grades 1 to 15, are alleged to have been based on political recommendations, bribery and nepotism.

Meanwhile, 10 NAB references involving allegations of corruption and abuse of authority have also returned to NAB and the accountability courts following a Sindh High Court order. The references had been transferred to the provincial Anti-Corruption Establishment under amendments to the NAB Ordinance in 2022. The cases involve alleged corruption of more than Rs40 billion.

The reopening of these cases puts several long-running allegations back under scrutiny. The key question now is whether the renewed investigations will result in concrete legal action and accountability or once again remain confined to files and inquiries.