Gymkhana lease under scrutiny by PA

117 acres of prime real estate rented for Rs417 a month

LAHORE:

The Punjab Assembly (PA) has demanded comprehensive details regarding the lease of Lahore Gymkhana, making it clear that no external influence will be tolerated as the committee seeks to reach a conclusion on the matter.

The assembly has given the relevant departments one week to provide the necessary information.

For the first time, media representatives were invited to attend the meeting of the Punjab Assembly's Special Public Committee-VI, chaired by PML-N MPA Samiullah Khan.

Lawmakers from both the treasury and opposition benches participated in the meeting, which was convened to consider an adjournment motion moved by PML-N's MPA Amjad Ali Javed during an earlier session of the Punjab Assembly.

The committee was formed by PA Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan during the Assembly session on September 9, 2024, following Amjad Ali Javed's motion about the terms of the Gymkhana Club lease. The motion highlighted the historical nature of the institution, which occupies 117 acres of prime real estate in the heart of Lahore.

It revealed that the club, under a 50-year lease, pays an astonishingly low rent of Rs417 per month, despite the real value of the land being estimated at Rs300 million.

During the committee's proceedings, chairman MPA Samiullah Khan expressed concerns about the relationship between the country's elite and state resources, emphasising that this is not confined to any single government.

"The elite's occupation of the country's resources is exemplified by the situation with Gymkhana," Khan said. He assured the committee that the matter would be reviewed on merit, with no tolerance for undue influence.

It was further revealed that no audit has ever been conducted on the Gymkhana Club's properties or its various structures, raising questions about transparency and accountability.