Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A senate body has asked the Capital Development Authority to share the details of a joint venture signed by the Pakistan Foreign Office Women Association (PFOWA) and Roots International Schools to construct a school on a plot, which was originally allotted for charity purposes.

The meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on the Cabinet Secretariat was held at the Parliament House on Monday in the chair of Senator Talha Mehmood. The committee once again discussed a scam of millions related to the misuse of a plot measuring 10-kanals in Sector H-8 by PFOWA after a long interval.

PFOWA is a registered welfare and charity organisation run by spouses of foreign service officers. PFOWA obtained the plot for charity purposes, but later struck a deal with Roots International.

“The civic agency had allotted the said plot  in relaxation of the rules to the charity organisation, PFOWA many years ago. But instead of starting charity work under a joint venture, the NGO handed over the prime real estate to Roots International Schools,” it was briefed by the former Chairman CDA, Maroof Afzal, in January 2016, to the same committee. He had also added: “In 2014, on the orders from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the CDA allowed the charity organisation to establish a school on the plot under a joint venture.”

Now, when the Director General Foreign Affairs trying to brief the committee regarding the issue on Tuesday, Senator Kalsoom Parveen, Senator Kamil Ali Agha, Senator Haji Saifullah Bangish and Senator Mir Muhammad Badini objected and categorically stated: “The plot meant for charity should not be used for commercial purposes.”

However, the Additional Secretary Capital Administration and Development Division (CA&DD) has informed the committee members that the CDA board had allowed the organisation to build a school on the said plot and it can be entered into a joint venture.

Senator Kamil Ali Agha, while responding to the argument of the Secretary CA&DD has questioned; “The CDA board has also taken several other wrong decisions. What is the power and relevant rules according to which the said permission was granted?”

Senator Shahi Sayed, Senator Khushbakhat Shujaat and Senator Rahila Magsi were in favour of PFOWA and they were of the view that a go ahead should be given to this charity organisation in this regard. Meanwhile, Senator Saifullah Magsi has proposed to seek the detailed terms and conditions of this joint venture and a wants a decision to be made after scrutinising the document. The chairman of the committee has also endorsed the point and asked the CDA to submit the details of the joint venture in the next meeting.

He said: “The case can be referred to the Federal Investigation Agency or some clauses can also be included in the joint venture to make it a welfare based project while scrutinising the document.”

A Member Planning of the CDA, Asad Mehboob Kiani, while talking to Daily Times said: “The committee has sought the details of the joint venture and we would present it in the next meeting.”

“The whole storey is a scam, because the plot was meant for charity work as the CDA allotted it against a token price, but now influential people are going to start a commercial venture there,” an officer of the civic body commented on the condition of anonymity.

The meeting was attended by Senator Kalsoom Parveen, Senator Kamil Ali Agha, Senator Haji Saif Ullah Bangish, Senator Mir Muhammad Badini, Senator Shahi Sayed, Senator Khushbakhat Shujat, Senator Rahila Magsi, Sardar and Senator Muhammad Azam Khan Musakhail.