No action against people behind delay in Islamabad airport project

Author: By Siddique Sajid

ISLAMABAD: The apex parliamentary body for accountability is still waiting for action against big fishes of New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) who are responsible of the delay in this project even all inquiries have been finalized against them.

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly, many times ordered the stern action against those responsible of increasing the project cost due to delay and bad management from Rs 34 billion to Rs 87 billion and still there is no final date of its operations, PAC Secretariat sources told Daily Times.

This project would be completed with the cost of Rs 100 to Rs 115 billion as there was much work yet to be completed, as over Rs 10 billion cases are pending in different courts. Matters related to provision of water and link roads are still to be resolved, PAC officials maintained.

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have completed its inquiry regarding billions of rupees embezzlement and misappropriation in this mega project, all the main accused are nominated but still there no arrest of any big fish was made so far, even the foreign consultant left the country and no one stopped him, PAC sources disclosed.

Internal inquiry report also unearthed many flaws in this huge project, Shams ul Haq Report disclosed the story that how national exchequer was looted and plundered but surprisingly this report was never discussed on any important forum, the committee sources said. PAC itself ordered many times for action against corrupt officials but no such report has been presented in the committee meeting. There is mushroom growth of private housing societies in surroundings of the airport, who had given them NOC, it is not clear yet and now sources said that these societies would also be given access through link road to the new airport and due to this the land value of these societies would also be increased, sources were of the view.

Regarding provision of water to airport, PAC sources said that there is some development on this issue as two dams Rama and Kisana would be constructed.

Sources said that there is a lobby which is much powerful and creating hurdles against the action to the responsible mafia and this mafia had influence on some PAC members as well.

It may be mentioned here that Auditor General of Pakistan already presented its special audit report on this project but action on this report is still awaiting.