ISLAMABAD: Shakarparian Cultural Complex present a picture of devastation due to Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) lack of interest and financial constraints, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Located in the scenic Shakarparian area, the Islamabad Cultural Complex was destined to symbolise the rich cultural heritage of the country, however, after years of stalled development, the impressively designed set of buildings in the capital has fallen into ruin.
Historically, the establishment of the cultural complex in Islamabad was the brainchild of former president Pervez Musharraf. After watching a stage play at an Islamabad club auditorium in April 2005, he announced the project and had told then-CDA chairman Kamran Lashari to initiate it.
The project was controversial since its initiation as it was launched by the CDA in 2007 without undertaking feasibility study which was revealed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) probe into the matter on April 20, 2016.
The authority had set the project’s completion date in 2009. Over Rs 1.1 billion were announced for the phase 1 of the project with a facility to operate on self-financing basis.
According to the layout plan, nine buildings, including conference halls, auditorium, two cinemas, cafeteria, mosque, restaurants, etc., were to be constructed on 25 acres of land.
28 per cent of total construction work was completed by September 2009; however, the work was halted by the authority the same year.
In 2011, then-prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani took an interest in the project and issued a supplementary grant of Rs 400 million for the project, ignoring the fact that CDA was supposed to self-finance the project.
Meanwhile, the contractor of the project claimed cost escalation of 75 per cent, citing a sharp increase in the prices of the construction material as a reason, the cost shoot up to Rs 1.85 billion from original Rs 1.1 billion.
In 2012, the contractor again claimed that the cost has escalated 70 per cent, making the new cost Rs 2.5 million. The contractor then moved the court seeking the contract nullification on the grounds the CDA didn’t resume the work.
In December 2014, the public accounts committee referred this case to the NAB. The authority’s revelation that no feasibility study was undertaken put Kamran Lashari in trouble.
Now the situation is such that the authority has removed the project from its ongoing CDA projects altogether.
