ISLAMABAD: In a major relief for hundreds of families trapped in the Ghouri Town housing scandal, the National Accountability Bureau has accelerated the return of recovered money to victims ahead of Eidul Azha, reviving hopes for people who waited years for justice after investing their life savings in the controversial project.
NAB Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Monday formally began disbursing another Rs240 million among affected citizens, taking the total amount returned so far to nearly Rs465 million. A special cheque distribution ceremony was held at NAB headquarters where Director General Waqar Ahmed Chauhan personally handed over cheques to several victims and assured them that the accountability watchdog would continue efforts to recover every possible rupee from the scandal.
Speaking at the ceremony, the NAB chief urged citizens to carefully verify the legal status and official approvals of housing societies before making investments. He said NAB’s top priority remained the recovery of public money and timely relief for victims of fraud and illegal schemes that have damaged public trust in the real estate sector.
The Ghouri Town controversy dates back to 2012 when the administration launched Phase 7 and Phase 8 projects and collected billions of rupees from the public by promising residential plots. Later, it emerged that the required legal approvals for the schemes had allegedly not been obtained. Despite massive collections from buyers, neither development work nor possession of plots materialised, leaving thousands of investors stranded.
After years of complaints, affected citizens approached NAB, which formally initiated an investigation in November 2023. During the probe, investigators reportedly uncovered evidence of irregularities and illegal file issuance. Around 1,550 victims submitted claims, while the total financial volume of the scam is believed to exceed Rs1.4 billion.
Officials said the recovery, verification and legal process is still underway and more payments are expected in upcoming phases. The accelerated refund campaign has generated a positive public response, with many victims calling it one of the most significant accountability driven relief efforts in recent years.
