ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday summoned the Defence Housing Society director following the revelation that the housing society grabbed the land of the Evacuee Property Trust Board (EPTB), in Lahore and failed to compensate them as well.
The Defence Housing society ignored the directives of the Supreme Court and the national exchequer sustained a loss of more than Rs1.93 billion, reported The News.
The PAC held its meeting on Tuesday which was presided over by Chairman Syed Khursheed Shah.
During the meeting, the audit paras relating to Ministry of Religious Affairs for the year 2016-17 were examined.
It was also revealed in the meeting that the Evacuee Property Trust Board suffered a loss of billions of rupees which was caused by the company of Kamran Kayani—M/s Elyisum Holding Private company and M/s High Land Rising company.
The Audit officials apprised the committee Evacuee Property Trust Board has entered into an agreement with the DHA for the development of the plots on the land in Lahore and under the agreement 33 per cent residential and commercial plots were to be developed by the DHA but later on DHA took a position that they would develop 25 per cent of residential and commercial plots.
The DHA neither has accepted the offer for developing 33 per cent residential and commercial plots nor returned the land that caused a loss of Rs1.93 billion, the audit officials told the committee.
Responding to a query with regard to the action against those who were involved in the scam, the committee was told that one of the officials was made an OSD.
Chairman Evacuee Property Trust Board Siddiqul Farooq told the committee that the Supreme Court of Pakistan took a suo moto notice of the agreement that was signed by ex-Chairman Evacuee Property Trust Board Asif Hashmi, and the decision came in favour of the Evacuee Property Trust Board but the DHA was still not accepting the verdict of the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court in its decision asked to develop 33 percent of plots and also give commercial plots to EPTB.
The EPTB chairman also told the committee that the officials of the EPTB who were charge sheeted on this issue get the stay order from the court of law while the ex-chairman EPTB ran away from the country.
When PAC Chairman Syed Khursheed Shah enquired from the FIA with regard to investigations, the FIA assistant director failed to give details of the investigation as he came unprepared.
Examining another audit para, the Audit officials told the PAC that EPTB has entered into an agreement with the M/s High Link Pvt Limited into a doubtful investment that caused a loss of Rs1.106 billion to the EPTB and now the matter is before the NAB.