KARACHI: As many as 603 cooperative societies in the port city have been non-functional since day one and a majority of them are allegedly involved in cheating the general public by selling them non-existent plots, according to an official document.
The revelation was made in a letter issued by the Cooperative Societies Deputy Registrar on March 13, according to which “a number of fake cooperative housing societies are fraudulently selling non-existent plots”.
In order to curtail such illegal practice, the Cooperative Department also published several notices in the leading newspapers wherein the general public was advised in their own interest to verify the registration and other particulars of the society from the concerned Assistant Registrar, Cooperative Societies before purchasing plots or making any payments to eliminate the chance of fraud and cheating.”
The letter further added, “In order to streamline the working and affairs of the cooperative societies and to reduce the chance of fraud and cheating, following societies have been put under liquidation in exercise of power vested under section 47 of the Cooperative Societies Act 1927 which have ceased its working and became non-functional/dormant since long.”
A show-cause notice was also published in leading newspapers on Mar 15, wherein the members, as well as the managements of the above cooperative societies, were advised to furnish their position on the issue within 14 days after the publication date.
Two years ago, the then Registrar Cooperative Societies Sindh, issued a letter (RCS/Kyc/50/2017), dated 26-1-2017, to the Secretary Land Utilization Department of Revenue Sindh and all Deputy Commissioners of Karachi with a request to provide complete details of land obtained by cooperative societies whether allotted by the government or purchased from open market. This was done to keep the lands of cooperative societies (under liquidation) under Red Entry in order to avoid the possibility of illegal sale and purchase of plots by the management of these cooperative societies and to avoid third-party interest, as per sources.
The then Registrar Cooperative Societies Sindh, also sent a letter (RCS/Kyc/158/2017) dated 8-9-2017 to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Chief Manager Banking Services Corporation Karachi, and letter (RCS/Kyc/170/2017) dated 19-9-2017 to SBP Director Banking Policy and Registration Department Karachi, containing request to intimate whether any bank account was opened/operated by the cooperative societies (under liquidation) to run the affairs of the society.
“Despite the publication of show-cause notice in leading newspapers, neither any members nor management of any cooperative societies (under liquidation) have approached this office with respect to the working and affairs of these cooperative housing societies,” informed sources in the registrar office.
The sources said that now these 603 cooperative societies have been issued final show-cause notice and the management of the societies have been once again directed to immediately ceased their working as the registration of all the cooperative societies (under liquidation) shall be treated as cancelled after seven days.
The deputy registrar has also warned that in case of failure, the office bearers of all 603 cooperative societies will be liable to face penal consequences under section 65-B of the Cooperative Societies Act 1925, which defines that the office bearers of a cooperative society shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of section 21 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 (XLV.of 1860).
The societies include:
Wilayat Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Yahya Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Malik Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Zaibun-e-Nisa Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Zainab Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Zeal Pak Labour Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Zeeshan Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Zhuhara Square Maintenance Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Zia-e-Farhan Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Zubaida Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Abeera Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, A Raziq Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, AG Sindh Workers Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, AM Pak Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Aasu M/P Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Abbasi Kalhora Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Abdullah Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Abdullah Shah Ghazi Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Abraq Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, ACME M/P Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Afnan Duplex House Maintenance Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Ahaliyan-e-Delhi Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi, Ahbab-e-Amroha Cooperative Housing Society Limited Karachi and others.
