Dubai authorities send ETPB’s ex-chief to Pakistan

DUBAI: The former chairperson of Evacuee Trust Property Board, Asif Hashmi — who was arrested in Dubai in 2016 over charges of embezzlement — has been sent to Pakistan and shall reach the country by evening, diplomatic sources said Saturday.

According to the sources, Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai prepared him the required documents so that he could fly to Pakistan as a case against him is under way in the Supreme Court.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court is dealing with the case against Hashmi, who has been accused of embezzling around Rs1.5 billion in an ETPB deal.

The case was initiated over the sale of ETPB land worth billions of rupees for peanuts – on which the then chief justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Chaudhry, also took suo motu notice.

During a hearing on the case, the then CJP had observed that ETPB made an illegal agreement by closing their eyes and added that in accordance with the constitution and law the ETPB land could neither be sold nor can be exchanged with other land.

Hashmi, who is a leader of Pakistan Peoples Party, served as the chairperson of ETPB between 2007 and 2013. After completing his tenure he left for Dubai in April 2016.