Land scam worth billions emerges in Islamabad

Police, CDA say they are probing into complaints filed by a citizen

ISLAMABAD: A land-grabbing scam worth millions has emerged in the federal capital with law enforcement officials of the view that certain officials of the district administration and the police are also involved.

In this regard, a complaint has been filed by a citizen and law enforcers are gathering all available data about the central figure in the scam apart from tracing its extent.

Ishtiaq Ahmed told the Koral police in a formal complaint that Chaudhry Usman had allegedly occupied land worth billions of rupees illegally in the federal capital.

Ahmed alleged that Usman, who is a salaried person receiving just Rs20,000 per month, had allegedly launched housing projects worth over Rs10 billion without ever obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Capital Development Authority (CDA). “What are the reasons that no action has been initiated against the suspect by the police, the federal investigation agency (FIA), and the Islamabad administration even though several applications were filed against him?”.  Ahmed asked in his complaint, adding how could the suspect own housing projects worth billions despite being a low-post surveyor.

In his application, Ahmed further alleged that until 2015, Usman was a low-rank employee. Later, Ahmed claimed, the Usman and his accomplice were asked to construct a square in Ghouri Town Phase-7 and minted millions out of the project.

They later reinvested their earnings into the lucrative property business, buying and selling plots, including benami plots.

“They got an investor and thereafter, they took land deeds from poor allottees and displaced them from their plots”, the applicant claimed, adding that for files that had a market value of around Rs3.5 million to Rs4 million were acquired by Usman for just Rs0.6 million to Rs0.7 million.

Sources in the CDA said the suspects managed to build a couple of illegal housing societies in different parts of Ghouri Town and planned to grab the lands with the help of thugs. Moreover, they even managed to sell over 500 files for plots under different housing schemes including Neela Duhla and Green Nest even though they did not own the requisite land.

They also plan to launch another project near Chakri, Ahmed claimed.

Ahmed, in his complaint, said that he had provided all the requisite evidence for his allegations to the FIA and other law enforcement institutions while the Law and Justice Commission has initiated action on his application. When contacted, a senior police officer of the Rural Zone confirmed  to The Express Tribune that multiple applications against Usman are pending in the Koral police station and an investigation is underway.

Separately, a senior CDA official said that they too are investigating the matter. He added that in the past, the authority has sealed off the area where Usman said he was building the housing schemes.Meanwhile, sources in CDA on Thursday shared a letter by CDA Zone-IV Project Manager Liaquat Mohyuddin Qadri directing the deputy commissioner to take action against illegal and unauthorised housing schemes in Ghouri Town. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2020.