The Supreme Court was informed on Wednesday that there are 3,432 registered and 5,492 unregistered/ illegal/ ghost/on paper housing societies all over the country. Additional Attorney General Nayyar Rizvi on behalf of Federal Investigation Agency on Wednesday submitted a report. According to that, out of 3,432 housing scheme, 812 are cooperative societies and 2,620 are registered companies.
In Punjab, total housing societies are 1,200 and out of them 140 are cooperative societies and 1,060 registered companies, in Sindh total housing societies are 1,944 and out of them, 566 are cooperative societies and 1,378 registered companies. Similarly, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa total housing societies are 78 and out of them 36 are cooperative societies and 42 registered companies, while in Balochistan total housing schemes are 141 and out of them 27 are cooperative societies and 114 registered companies. In Islamabad total housing societies are 69 and out of them 43 are cooperative societies and 26 registered companies.
The FIA report also stated that all over the country, total unregistered/ illegal/ ghost or on paper housing societies are 5,492. In Punjab there are 4,098, Sindh has 1,066, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa there are 208, five are in Balochistan and there are 115 unregistered/ illegal/ghost or on paper housing societies in Islamabad Capital Territory.
The forensic audit of a total of 2,690 housing societies has been completed. Out of them 43 are in Islamabad, 1033 are in Punjab, 1448 are in Sindh, 53 are in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 113 are in Balochistan. During the hearing, the Chief Justice remarked that due to transfer of plots on letter without sale deeds and stamp duty, Rs 307 million losses were caused to the national kitty within two years only in Punjab.
The Secretary Revenue Department informed that under Societies Act, the transfer of plots on letter is allowed. The Chief Justice remarked that billions of rupees properties are being transferred through transfer letter but the governments are doing nothing.
Additional Inspector General Punjab Abu Bakar Khuda Bux, who was appointed as the investigation officer to find out the reasons of fire in Punjab Corporative Building, situated at Mall Road, Lahore, informed that it was the deliberate attempt of the arson.