ISLAMABAD: Former railways minister Lt General (r) Javed Ashraf Qazi has formally approached President Asif Ali Zardari, ISI Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha and some parliamentarians to get his position cleared in the Royal Palm Golf and Country Club scam.
In a letter titled ‘Twisted facts and lies versus reality’, addressed to 32 people, including the president, the ISI director general, Senate Chairman Farooq H Naik and PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Qazi said the report by the special committee on railways was prepared on a request by Sheikh Waqas Akram, who demanded setting up of an inquiry committee to probe the deal.
He said Akram had a family feud with Ramzan Sheikh, his political rival in Jhang. “No wonder Akram used the committee for personal vengeance,” the letter said. Qazi said the committee reached a conclusion even before a probe into the matter was started and ignored or completely twisted the statements of then Railways administration.
He lashed out at journalist Rauf Klasra and his “long-time friend and co-host on a private TV channel” and Ishaq Khakwani for criticising him unfairly through various stories carried in The News and bad mouthing the initiative to commercialise the golf club. Qazi clarified that detailed advertisements were placed in all major newspapers, which asked for written bids for the contract.
He said of the four contenders, the consortium of Max Corp of Malaysia and MHPL were the highest bidders, as well as being the only bidders with relevant experience of building an international standard golf course. The special committee, headed by Nadeem Afzal Gondal, had been tasked to investigate the allotment of Pakistan Railways land to the Royal Palm Golf and Country Club at a nominal price.
In its findings, the committee had directed the initiation of legal proceedings against former army officers, including Qazi, for cheating and misappropriation in the award of the contract.
