Shady deal: Senate panel to probe prized plot issue

The 4,000 square yards land is being scrutinised by a judicial commission.

ISLAMABAD:

As if an inquiry into a prized commercial plot allotted to an influential ruling party legislator in Islamabad’s busiest commercial centre was not enough, the Senate will also initiate yet another.

Senate Chairman Nayyer Hussain Bokhari on Tuesday referred the matter to the Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat in response to a question asked by one of the ruling allied party senator about the plot allotted to a parliamentarian of the ruling party.

The plot issue is already being scrutinised by a judicial commission formed to probe corruption allegations in the Capital Development Authority (CDA). The three-member judicial commission was set up by the Islamabad High Court.

According to sources in the CDA, the PPP legislator who holds a key position in the National Assembly, paid far below the market value of the plot, causing millions of loss to the civic agency which is already in financial straits.

Senator Ghulam Ali of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) sought complete details of the controversial plot and the purpose of its creation.

The minister-in-charge informed the house that the plot was originally allotted to film star Rangeela (late) back in 1984, to construct a cinema.



Since Rangeela could not submit payment of premium for the land, the plot’s allotment was cancelled by CDA.

He informed the house that CDA’s planning wing decided to reconfigure it and declared it a commercial plot before allotting it to Arif with the chairman’s approval in October 1999.

Subsequently in April 2003, the plot was again cancelled due to non-payment of price but it was restored on the allottee’s request in April 2010. An allotment letter was issued on November 2011, after payment of 40 per cent of the Rs400 million.

The plot now measures 4,089 square yards.

The Senate chairman referred the matter to the Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat after the JUI-F senator expressed concern over the multiple cancellations of the plot’s allotment and auctions from 1984 to 2010.

The committee will initiate an inquiry under the supervision of Senator Kalsoom Parveen, who will convene a meeting after consulting all stakeholders including CDA.

On January 18, the judicial commission summoned the project’s Chief Executive Officer Waqar Qazi along with CDA’s director estate on January 31. The commission had expressed concern over the rapid construction on the plot.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2013.