ISLAMABAD – Over 900 Pakistani expatriates have been running from pillar to post for the past 13 years seeking recovery of millions of rupees they paid for plots in a housing scheme duly approved by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), but to no avail. A housing scheme, Jeddah Town, was launched in 1991 by the Gilani Housing Corporation International (Private) Limited, which initially offered 231 plots for sale over an area of 293 kanals.
The CDA approved the layout plan of the Jedah Town in violation rules that require availability of at least 800 kanals for development of such a scheme. According to a source, owners of the housing scheme later added 507 kanals to the already available area of 293 kanals and got approved a revised plan by the CDA. The source said the Jeddah Town owners were legally bound to develop the scheme within three years of its approval, but they started selling undeveloped plots to Pakistanis living in Saudi Arabia, UK and UAE against full payment of developed plots.
“Millions of rupees were extorted in this way from over 927 expatriate Pakistanis,” said the source. The affected expatriates finally approached National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which ordered an enquiry that resulted in arrest of chief executive of the housing scheme, Syed Muhammad Makhdoom Gillani, who was later released on bail. However, despite NAB orders passed two years ago, affected expatriates have neither received money nor possession of plots.
Sarwar Sindho, Director General CDA (Planning Wing), when contacted to seek information on the alleged housing scam, told Pakistan Today that the Authority had asked Survey of Pakistan to conduct survey of the land earmarked for Jeddah Town.
