One Constitution Avenue: NA panel recommends completing project

MNAs censure FIA, CDA for playing role of silent spectators in the case

ISLAMABAD: Nearly a month after the Islamabad High Court had upheld the capital’s civic agency’s decision to cancel the lease of the One Constitution Avenue building, a parliamentary panel on Friday recommended that the project should be completed.

Reviewing the project in detail, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development also censured the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for playing the role of passive spectators as the massive building was constructed in the capital illegally.

The IHC had earlier in March dismissed all petitions and upheld the CDA’s decision to cancel the lease of the under-construction building since its builders were using it for a purpose other than which it had stated to be used for.

Meeting with MNA Aamer Magsi in the chair, CDA and FIA officials gave the committee detailed reports regarding the One Constitution Avenue building.

They said that around 14 officials of CDA had been involved in allotting the land and allowing the subsequent illegal construction of the building. These officials, they said, included a former CDA chairman and the then board members of the authority.

The FIA official said that they were filing an FIR against officers of CDA who were involved in this scam.

Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) MNA Shagufta Jumani revealed that all issues were created after an alleged call from the US Embassy. She criticised the FIA and CDA for watching silently while the building was being constructed.

She asked why an inquiry was being conducted by the FIA office in Lahore rather than the Islamabad office.

At this, the FIA official said that the national exchequer suffered a loss of Rs33 billion after land for the building was sold cheaply for just Rs6 billion.

After the briefing, the committee came up with a host of questions.

MNA Suraiya Jatoi disputed FIA’s point of view, adding that police and FIA officials could do whatever they want.

MNA Rana Afzal recommended that the project should be completed.

Terming the ‘last-minute’ lease cancellation by CDA a drama, Jumani said that CDA had only woken up when the building was near competition.

Magsi too questioned how all regulators had suddenly become active nearly 10 years after the plot was allotted. He asked what actions were FIA going to take against those involved or would it require four years for that.

He added that overseas Pakistanis had invested Rs6 billion in the project.

The lawmaker asked that if the BNP group was not the bonafide owner, then who would flat buyers collect money their money from. At this, the FIA official told the committee that the BNP group had only deposited a billion rupees in CDA accounts as payment for the land.

Jumani again asked what action was being taken against officials involved in this corruption.

The owner of BNP however, tried to dispel the notion that they had bought the land cheap. He said that land for the Serena Hotel had been allotted at Rs14,500 per square feet while they had purchased land nearby at Rs75,000 per square feet. He added that if the project was a scam worth Rs33 billion, then the Serena should be a Rs200 billion scam.

The committee members, however, stressed that interests of flat buyers must be protected at any cost.

Earlier, the committee deferred the Immigration Amendment Bill, 2017 due to the absence of the bill’s mover. The committee discussed the Children Pledging of Labour Amendment Bill, 2017 but also deferred it until its next meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1^st, 2017.