In a meeting held at CDA Headquarters on Monday, it has been decided by the high-ups of Capital Development Authority (CDA) to pay the built-up area compensation to dozens of affectees of Chak Shehzad in the wake of land allotted for the construction of King Hamad University of Nursing and Associated Medical Sciences.
Curiously, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on January 6 this year laid the foundation stone for the university with a number of dignitaries from Bahrain.
“It is embarrassment for the whole nation as the PM inaugurated allotted land for King Hamad University before occupying it and the foundation stone has also gone missing from the place,” said an official of CDA who wished not to be named.
King Hamad of Bahrain had in 2014 announced that he will provide funds for the university as a gift to the people of Pakistan. It was decided that the Pakistani government will arrange for the land and the utility services for the university while the construction work will be funded by Bahrain.
Bahrain gave Rs 3 billion for the project. The King Hamad University was to be established on 237 kanals of land on Park Road, Chak Shahzad. The university will be able to house 2,000 students with 500 admissions annually and will have accommodation for 1,000 female students on campus. A delegation from Bahrain, led by Dr Shaikha Rana bint Isa bin Daij Al-Khalifa visited Islamabad last year to finalize the project.
When contacted, Mayor-cum-CDA Chairman Sheikh Anser Aziz said that the authority was all set to pay the built-up compensation to the affectees and the construction of King Hammad University would begin in coming months.
“CDA gets to know that the land is disputed and CDA still hasn’t paid the build-up compensation to the affectees after the inauguration. “We’ve not found any record of affectees, then after that episode, I directed Land Department to accumulate record of affectees from the cases pending in Supreme Court (SC) and Islamabad High Court (IHC),” the mayor said.
He said that then Deputy Director General (DDG) Land, Abdul Salam Shah was also suspended for this negligence. The affectees have been given a 10-days period to file their claims for build-up compensation to the authority.
The meeting was attended by Health Secretary Ajaz Munir, Additional Secretary PM Office, Deputy Mayor Chaudhary Rifat, member Finance, member Estate, DDG (Land), CDA DC and director Enforcement.
