Rs25 billion fraud found in minorities’ housing project

KARACHI: The housing scheme in the name of minorities has come to a standstill due to the alleged fraud by some active members of the Christian community.

According to details, Bishop Sadiq Daniel of Messrs. Diocese of Karachi and Zafar Iqbal, alleged fake secretary of a church near northern bypass, are involved in the fraud.

Sources said that through a fake resolution of the Diocese of Karachi Church, on October 16, 2019, the council members of the said church through forgery delegated the powers of secretary to the Zafar Iqbal so that he could sign an agreement for the construction of the said housing project.

In order to build a multi-billion rupee project called “Harmony Meadows” on the Northern Bypass in Taiser Town for the minority, an agreement was reached on October 16, 2019, between Zafar Iqbal and Abdul Rehman, owner of Bussey Group Private Limited and Vail Builders and Developers. Abdul Rehman is also the Vice Chairman of the Association of Builders and Developers Pakistan (ABAD).

Sources informed that about Rs 25 billion will be invested in the project. Foreign funding will be 70 percent and 30 percent will be paid by the members of the church.

The question of guaranteeing foreign funding was raised. In this regard, Bishop Sadiq Daniel allegedly received Rs. 12 million from vice chairman of the ABAD, Abdul Rehman, for the completion of the project, which he squandered.

When Abdul Rehman was apprehensive about the lack of timely foreign funding under the said agreement, he abandoned his intention to build the project and demanded Rs. 120 million from Bishop Sadiq Daniel, which he has been delaying till date. Due to which FIR No. 293/2020 was registered against Bishop Sadiq Daniel in Shara Faisal Police Station on 31st April 2020.

Bishop Sadiq Daniel has been involved in a number of frauds before and is also facing numerous charges of betrayal in the name of the Christian community.