Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) has requested the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to stop illegal sale and purchase of land at the Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

In a letter to the NAB, the TIP said the DHA could not sell to common people the plots acquired for the martyrs under the Cooperative Housing Act. It said the Sindh High Court (SHC) had already issued an order about the land the Sindh government allotted to the DHA.

The DHA had requested the Sindh government to allot it 14,000 acres of land for martyrs of the Pakistan Army who lost their lives in the Swat operation. However, the DHA later ignored the martyrs’ families and sold plots to the general public.

In a letter to NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry on April 11, the TIP said it received a second complaint, which was about the volition of the Cooperative Societies Act 1925. It stated that the society acquired the land for the welfare of serving and retired military officials on a reserved price, but it was using it for commercial purposes.

The letter stated that the Pakistan Defence Officers Housing Authority came into being on August 9, 1980 through a presidential ordinance that replaced the Defence Officers Cooperative Housing Society Limited, which was established for the welfare of serving and retired officers of the Pakistan Army. It further stated that the society was allotting plots to civil people in severe violation of the Presidential Ordinance 1980.

In another allegation, it stated that the DHA acquired 14,000 acres of land from the Sindh government and now it was purchasing private land for two plots of 500 metres. It said that this was going on in the name of transfer of one acre of land to the DHA City. The price of these two plots is Rs 14 million, according to which 14,000 acres land is worth Rs 196 billion. However, the Sindh government has transferred the land to the DHA at the rate of Rs 100,000 per acre; 14,000 acres for Rs 1.4 billion. The letter said the Singh government should get the remaining Rs 194.6 billion because the DHA was using the land for commercial purposes.

In a third complaint, the letter said the DHA requested the provincial government to give it 1,000 acres of land at the Super Highway for the families of the martyrs. According to the summary submitted by the secretary, the land was sought for those who embraced martyrdom during the Swat operation. At least 523 of the 1,000 acres of land were not allotted to the DHA because the NAB Karachi and the Sindh chief minister cancelled it. At least 52.21 acres of land were transferred to the DHA on November 27, 2012 and later cancelled in 2015. Likewise, 452 acres of land were allotted in 2013 and later their allotment to Khaki Enterprises and Karachi Rising Builders and Developers was cancelled in 2015.

The matter was reported to the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2015 and it could not go ahead till a decision of the apex court. It was reported in the media that the price of land was Rs 154 million, but some political forces wanted direct allotment to the DHA for less than Rs 100 million. However, the provincial government has opposed the allotment and the matter has been pending since January this year. Some ministers and front men reportedly want this land to be allotted despite the apex court has put a bar on transfer or purchase of this land.

The TIP said it was looking into the matter and asked the NAB to carry out an investigation into the matter. It asked the NAB to take action against those found involved in corruption.