A man who expanded his small-scale catering business by adding two more partners and invested his lifelong savings to purchase a plot worth Rs114 million, lost everything due to the alleged negligence of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA).
The RDA, after issuing clearance for payment and transferring ownership without conducting a thorough scrutiny of the ownership attorney, canceled the ownership transfer letter eight months later.
As a result, Khurram Shehzad, who had been running from pillar to post for the past six years, has now been forced to seek justice through the courts.
According to details, Khurram Shehzad, son of Muhammad Yaseen, in partnership with two associates, purchased a seven-marla plot in the Asghar Mall Scheme from Nisar Ahmed, son of Jalaluddin, for Rs114 million.
At the time, the RDA's Director State Management, who now serves as the Director General, along with two inspectors, verified the attorney, confirming that the property was jointly owned by Nisar Ahmed, his brother Muhammad Akram, and sister Maroof Sultana, children of Jalaluddin.
Based on this verification, clearance was given to the buyer to make the payment.
After the payment of Rs114 million, the ownership of the plot was transferred to Khurram Shehzad on March 30, 2018, and an ownership letter was issued in his name.
However, eight months later, on November 29, 2018, Shehzad was summoned to the RDA office where he was handed a cancellation letter for the ownership transfer. It was disclosed that the actual owner of the plot was Shehzad Ahmed, son of Jalaluddin, aged 82, who had been residing in the United Kingdom.
Since he had passed away, the attorney was declared invalid, and consequently, the ownership transfer letter was also canceled.
Having lost his lifelong savings and facing cancellation of the property, Shehzad was told by the RDA officials to contact them again after 10 days.
Through his special attorney, Shahid, son of Bashir Ahmed, Shehzad argued that it was the RDA's responsibility as an institution to verify the authenticity of the attorney submitted.
The payment of Rs114 million was made only after RDA's clearance, and ownership was transferred to his name with an official letter issued. He questioned how the attorney could later be declared invalid and his ownership transfer canceled.
However, no answer was provided to Shehzad. When he approached the High Court, the case was referred to a civil court.
Meanwhile, losing Rs114 million and the plot caused severe disputes between Shehzad and his business partners, which eventually led to the complete collapse of his thriving catering business.
When contacted, RDA spokesperson Hafiz Muhammad Irfan denied the allegations.
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