The government is reluctant to change by-laws of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to help people continue misuse of farmhouses allotted for agri-production, well placed sources in CDA revealed to Business Recorder on Friday.
According to the CDA by-laws, an allottee can neither sell the farmhouse nor use it for residential or commercial purposes, but a large number of farmhouses sold to/by influential people are openly being used for residential or commercial purposes, CDA sources revealed.
Once CDA succeeds in making changes in its by-laws it might affect the ownership of over 500 influential people including former President Pervez Musharraf, ex-premier Shaukat Aziz, Justice (Retd) Javed Iqbal, former chairman Senate, Wasim Sajjad, Chaudhry Tariq Fazal, MNA of PML-N, PPPP leader Naheed Khan, Shahazad Waseem, the CDA sources added.
The farmhouses of both the ex-president and ex-premier also fall into the category of farms not being used for the purpose for which they were originally allotted by the CDA.
Sources added that influential people including politicians, officers in armed forces, bureaucrats, businessmen and even officials of the secret agencies were allotted over 2,500 acres of land worth billions of rupees in Islamabad at throwaway prices. The original intent of providing land for farmhouses in the early 1970s was to meet the demand of vegetables, fruit, milk, livestock and poultry in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Luxury palaces have been constructed on these farmhouses by powerful people, CDA sources said, adding that a majority of the allottees have sold the land at much higher prices after the CDA was compelled to change its by-laws to accommodate some influential people and enable them to sell these farms. The government should introduce legislation to take action against those who are still violating CDA by-laws and cancel the allotment of these farmhouses, they said.
CDA under its rules has the power to cancel allotment of farmhouse for violating rules or selling it but there are loopholes in the by-laws, which are providing protection to people. CDA has so far cancelled the allotment of one plot in Lehtrar Road Tarlai over violation of the rules of allotment, sources added.
There are over 500 farmhouses in CDA's seven farmhouse schemes for example Chak Shahzad, Sahana, Lehtrar Road Tarlai, Kahuta, H-9, Murree Road (Orchards), Murree Road Scheme IV (Poultry), however, less than 40 percent are being used for agriculture or livestock production purposes.
CDA sources revealed that Pervez Musharraf purchased a five-acre plot from the daughter-in-law of Sardar Abdul Rab Nishtar in 2003. Riffat Jamil, wife of Jameel Nishtar had bought the farm to launch her own poultry and vegetable business. Shaukat Aziz purchased a plot measuring 2.6 acres to launch his own poultry and vegetable business in 2003 from Murtaza Siddiqi, son of Haji M. Yousaf. Justice (Retd) Javed Iqbal, son of Allama Iqbal got a plot of 2.72 acres in 1999 with the purpose of launching a poultry and vegetable business from Nazir Mohammad Sheikh.
The list also shows the names of former chairman Senate Wasim Sajjad, and many top military generals and other high-ranking officials and bureaucrats who had acquired plots under the scheme. Politicians, armed forces officers and bureaucrats who were allotted farmhouses include Chaudhry Tariq Fazal, MNA of PML-N, Mohammad Shujaat Azeem (the brother of information minister Tariq Azim), Zeba Fasih Bokhari, Sadia Hafeez Pirzada, PPPP leader Naheed Khan, Bushra Khushnood, Mehtab Khan, Shahazad Waseem, Tanveer Ilyas, Malik Tabaruk Hussain, Saifur Rehman, Ijaz Shafi Gilani.
The current market value of the land owned by over 500 influential people is over Rs 80 billion, as one acre of land in this area sells for Rs 250 to 300 million. The CDA sources said that at the time of allotment of these farmhouses, these influential people had shown an interest in growing vegetables, fruits and producing livestock, milk and poultry products, in line with the CDA's policy, for supply to the residents of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. These farms were allotted to these influential people under farm schemes. But, after getting them allotted at highly subsidized rate, they later sold these farms at market rate.
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