Victims of Bin-Alam Housing scam demand swift justice
Chanting slogans and holding placards, the protestors, many of whom are retired individuals, widows, and low-income citizens, urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the Chief Minister of Punjab, and senior judiciary members to intervene in the long-pending case.
The protest comes years after more than 500 individuals were allegedly defrauded by the private housing project, which began bookings in 2016-17 in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad. Victims say they were promised plots on easy instalments but were neither given possession nor refunded their investments, which collectively amount to around Rs1.4 billion.
Following a flood of complaints, the NAB Lahore launched an investigation and arrested four suspects, Kashif, Nazim Alam, Muhammad Azam, and Muhammad Asif. One of the accused remains at large and has been declared an absconder, while another is still on judicial remand.
The NAB also seized properties linked to the suspects and filed a reference in the Lahore Accountability Court in 2019, which includes over 400 victims.
Despite the passage of five years, only about 100 witnesses have so far recorded their statements, leaving the proceedings stalled and justice elusive. A separate reference involving 126 victims from Rawalpindi and Islamabad was transferred to the Islamabad Accountability Court, but that case also remains pending with little progress.
The demonstrators expressed deep frustration over the slow pace of the trial, saying their financial and emotional suffering continues unabated. 'We've waited for years with no resolution in sight. Many of us spent our life savings. We just want our money back or the plots we were promised,' said one protestor.
Calling on authorities to expedite the legal process, the victims urged the judiciary and NAB to ensure early verdicts, recover looted funds, and provide long-overdue relief.
The Bin-Alam scam remains one of several high-profile housing fraud cases that have tested public trust in accountability mechanisms, with victims now pleading for closure and justice.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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