The government has successfully resisted a move by Pakistan’s High Commissioner to United Kingdom (UK) Syed Ibne Abbas for sale of the building of the high commission in London, fearing kickbacks involved in the sale bid, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Privatisation Commission Chairman Mohammad Zubair, Deputy High Commissioner to London, Mohammad Imran Mirza and others played their role in saving the building from being sold.
Documents available with Pakistan Today reveal official communication from the ministry to several departments that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had formed a committee comprising PC Chairman Mohammad Zubair, high commissioner to UK, Sir Anwar Pervez and Sultan Ali Allana of the Agha Khan Foundation to submit a proposal in this regard in 90 days.
A letter forwarded by MOFA Assistant Director Mohammad Tasneem Khan stated that the deputy high commissioner in London had apprised the privatisation commission chairman that selling the high commission building would be a “bad move” which could tarnish the name of the Sharif family which was already dealing in property in the UK.
When contacted, Privatisation Commission Chairman Mohammad Zubair said that the committee had visited London High Commission in August and had presented its recommendation to Prime Minister Sharif not to sell the building.
“Obviously we are not selling it. We have submitted our report to the PM. The committee has, however, proposed to construct a community center at a vacant space already present between the two buildings of the high commission. This would redress the needs of the high commission,” Mohammad Zubair told Pakistan Today.
According to the document, Mohammad Zubair visited the high commission to deliberate upon the proposal on August 15.
The documents reveal that the initial proposal was moved by the then high commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hassan to the then prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, claiming that the high commission’s existing building 34-36 Lowndes Square, London was located in a high value, posh, residential/commercial area which should be sold to some commercial entity.
The proposal said that the existing building did not have a big hall to accommodate large gatherings, hence, there was a need to buy a new and spacious building in non-commercial area of London like Belgravia or Eton.
The document said that Gilani approved the request made by Wajid Shamsul Hassan. However, the Foreign Ministry did not make any progress suspecting kickbacks and commissions involved in the move.
The document said that the new high commissioner, Syed Ibne Abbas, who was appointed to the post last year by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, again raised the matter with the PM and a presentation on the issue was given on June 15, 2015.
“The high commissioner forwarded a revised proposal to the MOFA with an increase of £1.4 million,” the document said, which alerted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
To set the record straight, the MOFA also gave a presentation to the prime minister, opposing the proposal by Ibne Abbas, stating that the existing building was an asset for the country for being in a high-value area of London where prices of properties keep on increasing. The ministry’s presentation opposed the sale bid and said that the ministry would suffer heavy loss if the building was put on sale.
This compelled the premier to form a committee led by Mohammad Zubair to probe the matter and submit its recommendations in 90 days.
“In a bid to probe the matter, Mohammad Zubair visited the London High Commission on August 15 where he was briefed by the deputy high commissioner who opposed the proposal made by the high commissioner,” the official communiqué stated, adding that the move could bring a bad name to the ruling Sharif family.
The document said the deputy high commissioner as well as Sultan Ali Allana of the Agha Khan Foundation had also opposed the proposal.
“Mr Zubair agreed with the opinions expressed by deputy high commissioner as well as Mr Allana,” the document said. However, the committee is yet to make a presentation to the prime minister.
