LAHORE – Two claimants of the ‘Canal Motor Scam’ have passed away while waiting for justice from the National Accountability Bureau, one claimant of the scam told The Nation on Saturday.
According to details, the owner of Canal Motors, Rana Qaiser Nazir in Faisal Town area had extorted Rs1.18 billion from 220 people on different pretexts. Sources claim that Rana was backed by a serving superintendent of police, Rana Mansoor-ul-Haq and other political leaders of PML-N.
Many of the affectees of the scam were pensioners, widows and senior citizens who knocked on every door from where they could expect justice, but in vain. A case was registered with NAB Lahore. The bureau recovered a huge sum of the looted money from the accused and promised to return it to the complainants shortly.  However, months after the development, the affectees are still waiting for their money to be returned.
During their long struggle the affectees of this scam formed a committee, called ‘Canal Motor Affectees Committee’, which was presided over by PAF Group Captain (R) Muhammad Saleem Metla. Talking to The Nation Mr. Metla said that the affectees had filed a writ petition in Lahore High Court in this regard and court asked NAB officials to file reference in the concerned court by January 15, 2012 but not reference has been filed so far.
He said that committee has also submitted applications to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, NAB Chairman and the Director General NAB Punjab, but are still awaiting action from their side as well.
He added that two of the claimants have died during this period, without having their money recovered. Mr Metla alleged that SP Mansoor, who played an active role in the scam, has also not been interrogated due to his relation with PML-N leader Rana Nazir. Meanwhile, the claimants are being threatened by the police and the perpetrator, with the connivance of SP Mansoor, said Metla. He went on to blame the wife of the owner of Canal Motors Rana Qaiser, for shifting the looted money to Canada.
More than 200 people were deprived of the money they had deposited to buy vehicles from the defecting car dealership. The owner of Canal Motors Rana Qaiser remains in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau, which has been investigating the case for a couple of years. According to the NAB investigation, on March 7, 2010, then Saddar Division SP Rana Mansoorul Haq abducted Canal Motors scam co-accused Nazeer, Mohsin Abbasi and Ahsan Abbasi and held them until March 16. In the interim, he forced them to sign over properties worth millions of rupees to his friends and family.
NAB sources said that two other persons Diyal and Bilal had admitted to possessing property obtained through illegal means and had voluntarily returned Rs18 million to the bureau. However, the amount handed over was much lesser than the actual value of the properties.
Nazeer told NAB that SP Haq and Hameed Rana were also beneficiaries in the scam. No money has so far been returned to the 200 people who got conned by Canal Motors.