Sir: After putting it off for nine years, it was heartening to see that the NAB had finally initiated an investigation against the administration of DHA Islamabad, Bahria Town and the CDA, to probe into the Rs110 billion DHA Valley housing scheme scam. The scheme involved members of the general public paying for the rights to become part of a ballot for five to eight-marla plots.
As DHA is a respected and well known entity across the country, people clamored at the chance of being part of this initiative, however they soon found out that their trust was misplaced.
Investigations revealed that the DHA had in fact signed a contract with Bahria Town and Habib Rafique construction group for the development of land, meaning that they had been taking money for land that they did not have the authority to give away.
It was a shock for the people who had been part of this scheme to find that their contributions had not amounted to anything. No development had taken place, and yet they were still required to submit their installments.
The involvement of DHA, a trusted name in the nation, was also a cause for great concern. Corrupt and greedy members of this organization had sullied its name by agreeing a deal worth Rs 62 billion with Bahria Town for the land that the people had initially paid for, and their plan was to acquire another tract of cheap land in order to pass it off as their own and make an even bigger profit on their initial investment.
DHA Islamabad owes an apology to the people they wronged, and they should now be returned the money they have invested in the project, or provided with alternate plots of land in the federal capital as soon as possible.
GULL ZAMAN
Peshawar
Published in Daily Times, June 28th 2018.