Ambassador accused of selling the entire embassy building

A former Pakistani ambassador has been accused of illegally selling an embassy building. The country’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has filed a case against former ambassador Major General (retd) Syed Mustafa Anwar over the allegations.

The unprecedented event took place in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. A case is pending in the court against Syed Mustafa Anwar, accused in the case that took place 20 years ago. NAB officials have been criticized for investigating the case for a long time. They have been criticized by the country’s chief justice.

According to a case filed by NAB in a court in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Syed Mustafa Anwar was appointed as Pakistan’s ambassador to Indonesia in late 2000. He then tried to sell the embassy building there.

In 2001-2002, he advertised the sale of the embassy building in the Indonesian media without the permission of the Pakistani Foreign Ministry. Even he also sold the embassy building very cheaply. As a result, Pakistan has lost 132 million US dollars. The NAB has alleged that he did this by abusing his power. However, the real origin price of the building was not known.

The NAB alleges that Syed Mustafa Anwar started selling the embassy building soon after he was appointed ambassador to Jakarta. However, the Pakistani foreign ministry was not informed about the process of selling the embassy building. When the sale process is almost over, he then informs the ministry.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed has said that the investigation into the illegal sale of the embassy was not done properly or rightful. If the investigation is done properly, it should not take so many days (about 20 years). The Chief Justice told officials of the National Accountability Bureau or NAB that the allegations against Syed Mustafa Anwar could have been investigated more thoroughly.

News References: The Nation and Yahoo News

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