The shuttle service was initiated in April, 2002 at the Convention Centre to establish safe and speedy transport for visa-seekers.
The former planning chief of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) is in the crosshairs of a judicial commission probing alleged corruption in the civic agency.
On Wednesday, fingers were pointing towards former CDA Planning Director General Ghulam Sarwar Sandhu for his alleged involvement in the controversial Diplomatic Shuttle Service (DSS) contract.
A three-member commission headed by Justice (retd) Sardar Raza Khan alongside retired sessions judges Sakhi Muhammad Kahut and Baqir Ali Rana took up case of alleged misappropriations in the DSS contract award.
Hafiz Arafat Ahmed recorded his eyewitness testimony before the commission maintaining that the contract was awarded illegally to contractor Muhammad Hussain. Ahmed, a lawyer by profession, informed the commission that after stories about the matter were published in The Express Tribune in 2010, his colleagues filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in November 2010 and later, this “illegal award” came under the commission’s scrutiny. He informed the commission that the contract was awarded without the approval of the Islamabad Transport Authority (ITA), which is supposed to set bus and van fares for Islamabad.
The shuttle service was initiated in April, 2002 at the Convention Centre to establish safe and speedy transport for visa-seekers. However, the contract was awarded in violation of Pakistan Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules, with visitors being charged Rs500 to get to different embassies barely a few kilometres away.
He alleged that Muhammad Hussain is the front man of former Planning DG Sandhu.
Meanwhile, Sardar Raza asked him who is in fact running the DSS, to which Ahmed replied, “I have no doubt that Hussain is a close relative of Sandhu, who is now an Officer on Special Duty (OSD).” He said that on July 2, 2012, IHC Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui sent him to Adiala Jail while initiating contempt proceeding against him.
Over 4.5 acres was acquired for the shuttle service. Ahmed added that during a case at the IHC, CDA admitted that the DSS Company is not even registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).
The commission summoned DSS contractor Hussain and the CDA Urban and Regional Planning director in person on Thursday (today) before adjourning.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 24th, 2013.
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