ENCHANTMENT: TAKING OVER A DECADE TO DECODE

In 1989, my uncle met Bashir through a mutual acquantance, who suggested that my uncle should seriously consider diversifying his portfolio and invest in Pakistan. As the person in question also doubled-up as my uncle's spiritual guide (Peer in sufi terminology), it seemd like a good idea at the time.


A set of commercial properties were purchased through Bashir in "Mughal Sarai" Raja Bazaar, Rawalpindi. A few years later in 1992, when the value had appreciated, my uncle decided to sell.


In the interim, Bashir had slowly but surely cast his 'magic spell' and now was an opportune time to 'lay the bait.'


"Haji Sahab, as you are well aware, my brother has just died recently, his investments have been locked into a trust fund for his young children, which mature upon adulthood. You know that I am extremely active on the property scene and their responsibility rests upon my shoulders. Could you please loan me 50 lakh rupees?" Bashir pleaded with my uncle.


Taking Bashir's immaculate conduct over the past few years as a reference, Uncle jee hardly hesitated in obliging and crucially, did not even ask for any written proof, let alone collateral.


Utterly oblivious of the 'Real Bashir' who had a criminal record of defrauding a bank, who owed lakhs of rupees to traders in Raja Bazaar and elsewhere, who was notorious as an 'entertainment pimp' for the rich and powerful, who had large stakes in the investment portfolio of the property mafia etc. etc.


In subsequent years, Bashir upped the ante and started kissing my Uncle's beard whenever he would visit Pakistan, to the extent of repeatedly expressing a desire to wash his feet and drink the residue. Furthermore, in the presence of my Uncle and other mutual acquantances, he would never fail to attribute his health and all his wealth to my uncle's magnanimity.


The impression that my Uncle developed, was of a loyal and humble friend whose humility was all the more impressive considering Bashir was apparently, exceptionally affluent in his own right.


This almost inevitably led to my uncle recommending other friends in the UK to unreservedly invest with him, indeed Uncle loaned him another 40 lakhs for good measure.


It wasn't until the Rahwali Sugar Mill-Gujranwala scam in 2000 that the 'cat finally leapt out of the bag.' Earlier signs such as Bashir delaying in giving the necessary paperwork for property purchased by Uncle's friends, eating rent in the process etc. didn't register on the caution radar.


The Sugar Mill scam involved Bashir creating a scene, whereby he would take these gullible investors to the mill that he had purchased. Paying a nominal amount to venal government employees and publishing an announcement in a newspaper, earned him enormous dividends. For an outlay of a few lakh (if not mere thousands) he was able to scam over 1.5 crore!


What proved to be his 'achilles heel' was that he had fleeced a local i.e resident of Kashmir in this scam. Those from Britain remained on the straight and narrow. However, this local chap after a few years of chasing up Bashir, took an opportune moment in 2004 to kidnap his children, lure Bashir to Kashmir and get him imprisoned and perhaps most crucially, prise his money back.


Hereby, the real saga ensues....