Thalian Housing Scheme Islamabad: NAB asked to probe into land purchase process

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed the Ministry of Housing and Works as well as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to investigate the land purchase process for Thalian Housing Scheme Islamabad. The PAC met under the chairmanship of Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah to discuss/review audit objections on the audit paras of the Ministry of Housing and Ministry of Inter- Provincial Co-ordination (IPC).
During the proceedings, Senator Azam Swati asked the secretary Ministry of Housing why the government remains failed to start developmental work on Bhara Kahu Housing Scheme despite passage of eight years. The committee also directed the Ministry of Housing to cease all the accounts of the Thalian Housing Scheme till completion of investigation.
The committee while grilling the NAB officials over their dismal performance in probing the Bhara Kahu and Thalian Housing Schemes related issues said the Bureau is trying to protect those who have overcharged the poor. The committee constituted a special committee to look into the matter of launch of Thalian Housing Scheme, Islamabad.
Senator Azam Swati said that Ministry of Housing has not purchased a single inch of land at Thalian for the housing scheme but the developers in collaboration with the ministry officials collected billions of rupees from poor masses in the name of housing scheme.
Senator Chaudhary Tanvir said that a private party is behind Thalian Housing Scheme, but it gave the impression that it was a Ministry of Housing-sponsored project to deceive the masses.
Tanvir said that probe into the matter of Thalian Housing Scheme should be conducted to find out who made money by cheating the masses. He further said that in Bhara Kahu scheme, the ministry purchased land at Rs 100,000 per kanal but sold it to the masses at Rs 900,000 per kanal, adding that land worth Rs 300 million was sold to clients at Rs 1.65 billion, but developmental work on the schemes has not completed despite passage of nine years.
The NAB official while presenting the investigation report on Bahra Kahu Housing Scheme said that the Bureau didn't find any irregularities in the land purchase by Ministry of Housing. The chairman PAC snubbed the Secretary Housing Amjad Khan over his response that he does not know who is behind the massive advertisement campaign of Thalian Housing Scheme, which appeared in national media with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's photos.
During the audit objections of the Ministry of Housing and Works, Khursheed Shah said that it is a big fraud in the name of the housing scheme. He said the ministry should inform the committee how and who used the Prime Minister's name in Thalian Interchange Housing Scheme, adding that advertisement appeared in newspapers but the ministry officials are not aware of it.
The committee expressed termed it non-serious attitude of NAB officials who could not complete investigation into Thalian Housing Scheme. Azam Swati was of the view that the country is facing corruption issues due the negligence of NAB. Rohail Asghar claimed that NAB is not serious to investigate the matter as influential people are involved in it. The committee also expressed concerns over the absence of director general NAB in the meeting.
During the audit report of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Co-ordination, the members of the PAC asked the secretary IPC why director sports has been replaced. Khursheed Shah stopped the members for further discussion on the matter as it was an administrative issue. The meeting was attended by Senators Chaudhry Tanveer Khan and Azam Swati, MNAs Sheikh Rohail Asghar and other senior officials of the Ministry of Housing and Works.