Illegal housing developments: Senate panel wants NAB, FIA to probe schemes

Directions to CDA come on heels of recent drive against illegal societies in Islamabad.

ISLAMABAD: A senate panel on Wednesday directed the federal capital’s civic agency to write letters to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to initiate investigations into some 109 illegal housing schemes operating in Islamabad.

The Senate Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights which met at the Parliament House on Wednesday also suggested that sales offices of all such schemes be sealed and their bank accounts be frozen.

The matter was referred to the committee in January 2007 by the upper house on a query from Senator Kalsoom Perveen.

The overlapping powers of the Capital Development Authority and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration regarding registration and approval of building plans for housing and farming schemes has apparently confused some members of the committee.

Islamabad Chief Commissioner Zulfiqar Haider informed the committee that a society would be legal if it was registered either with the ICT Administration or the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, while also fulfilling all other defined criteria.

Haider further said that if a society fails to get registered with the ICT, it would imply that it lacks CDA approval for the layout plan.

He said that of the 109 societies that the CDA has deemed illegal, only 47 are under the purview of ICT, and they were all properly registered.

To this, committee member Senator Farooq H Naek observed that if societies are registered but are not adhering to the building criteria, it would suggest that some unlawful acts are being committed by them, but they cannot be termed illegal outright.

CDA Planning Member Waseem Khan accepted that there was a big lacuna in the rules and the CDA cannot do much to stop housing societies from going against the approved layout plans.

The committee suggested that the law be amended so the CDA can take action against societies if they go against approved plans, while adding that the CDA should be the only approval authority.

The committee observed that mushroom growth of societies could not have taken place without CDA involvement.

FIA response

In a written reply, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) informed the committee that 13 inquiries related to 12 illegal housing schemes were currently pending with the agency.

The FIA further informed that in five cases, FIRs against the accused have been lodged. Of these, complete charge sheets have been in two cases, while one incomplete charge sheet has been submitted to the relevant court, while the other two cases are still under investigation.

13 inquiries are related to the National Assembly Employees Cooperative Housing Society, FBR Employees Society, Ministry of Interior Employees Society, Cabinet Division Society, and OGDCL Cooperative Housing Society, among others.

The allegations in five cases where FIRs have been registered include illegal occupation of hundreds of acres of mortgaged CDA land and constructions beyond layout plans. The agency said that several of the accused have already obtained bail from various courts.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2015.