The prime minister’s order to halt the sale of 12 commercial plots in Blue Area spurred the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) into action. The anti-corruption watchdog on Friday sought complete record from the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
The bureau asked CDA Chairman Farkhand Iqbal to provide the record of the pre-qualification process for the sale of plots and give a comprehensive presentation to its Awareness and Prevention Division on September 11.
According to NAB, the issue of the auction of the 12 commercial plots first came into their notice after an advertisement about an auction plan for Blue Area’s extension appeared in the print media. The bureau’s Awareness and Prevention Division wrote a letter to the CDA chairman on July 27 asking him to provide details of the auction because of the questionable transparency of the balloting process.
Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Thursday halted the bidding process for the prized plots in Blue Area after a controversy over the pre-qualification process erupted in the media. He asked Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi to submit a report to him in three days.
“Around 10:30am, Sethi arrived at CDA offices and ‘occupied’ the conference room in front of the chairman’s office. At the time, CDA chairman and board members were at NAB headquarters,” said a CDA official requesting not to be named.
Sethi quizzed CDA chairman and board members for four hours. A questionnaire was also distributed among the board members.
Sources close to the meeting told The Express Tribune that the cabinet secretary expressed her displeasure with the CDA chairman over the scandal.
An official source privy to the meeting disclosed that the CDA chairman had landed in hot water because many influential businessmen, politicians and bureaucrats had a major role in influencing the bidding process at the civic agency.
“I’m shocked that influential people were given undue favour in the bidding process in connivance with top CDA officials including its chairman,’’said the official.
In his defence, Iqbal said, “When the matter caught the media’s attention, I asked for the relevant file and confirmed that I had not signed any paper authorising the auction. I have also informed the secretary cabinet.”
When contacted, CDA spokesperson Masoodur Rehman confirmed that the cabinet secretary had held a meeting with the chairman and other officials.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2012.
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