Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A Senate body has directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to cancel the lease agreement of a plot allotted to Pakistan Foreign Office Women’s Association (PFOWA).

The CDA had allotted the plot, measuring 1.17 acres, located in Sector H-8 to PFOWA, a charity organisation run by spouses of officers serving in the foreign service.

However, instead of starting charity work under a joint venture, the NGO handed over the prime real estate to Roots Millennium Schools. This was against the terms of allotment.

The Senate’s Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat has been following the case for the last one and half year.

The committee met at the Parliament House on Tuesday again to discuss the same agenda. The meeting was chaired by Senator Talha Mehmood. Other committee members, including Kalsoom Parveen, Najma Hameed, Haji Saifullah Bangash, Yousaf Badini and Kamil Ali Agha were also present.

Mayor of Islamabad and CDA Chairman Shaikh Ansar Aziz briefed the committee members about violations committed by PFOWA.

“We did not want to cancel the allotment. Once this is done, the plot will be auctioned again. However, we want the plot to be used for charity purposes,” Senator Talha Mehmood said.

“It is a scam because the plot was meant for charity work. CDA had allotted it against a token price but now influential people are going to start a commercial venture there,” Senator Yousuf Badini said.

Senator Mehmood directed the CDA to immediately cancel the allotment made to PFOWA and asked the CDA chairman to submit an implementation report in this regard before the committee. He also sought details of other plots allotted for charity purposes.

“We will have to check the law whether we can cancel the allotment or not. It had been allotted on the directions of the prime minister of Pakistan,” the CDA chairman said.

However, he assured the committee members that he would implement the recommendations of committee according to rules and regulations.

Senator Talha Mehmood said that the committee would prepare its recommendations in the shape of a report regarding this matter and it would be presented in the Senate of Pakistan for adoption to make it binding on the civic body.

While talking to Daily Times after the meeting, Senator Talha said: “I am not sure the CDA will implement the committee’s recommendations or not that is why I have decided to bring the matter to the floor of the house.”