Officials from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and a government watchdog are under scrutiny for the fraudulent allocation of a prime eight-kanal land in Islamabad’s Sector E-11, valued at approximately Rs. 10 billion, reported Dawn.

The controversial deal was stopped on Monday after a decisive intervention from an intelligence agency and the top brass at the CDA. Earlier in the week, the CDA chairman had suspended two land directorate officials over suspicions regarding their role in the malpractice. Dawn’s insiders suggest that more suspensions may follow.

According to Dawn, a government watchdog, known for combatting corruption, appears to be involved. Reportedly, this watchdog’s officials pressured their CDA counterparts for a quick handover of the land and did not shy away from intimidation tactics.

Key CDA officers, including Deputy Commissioner (DC), Sardar Mohammad Asif, and Tehsildar, Mirza Saeed, were informally summoned by the watchdog to expedite the issuance of the land’s possession letter.

Despite the pressure, some CDA officials held their ground, citing concerns over the irregularities in the land allotment process. These officials faced hours of harassment before being released with a mandate to issue the possession letter by the following day.

After some officials refused to issue a controversial possession letter, they were summoned by the watchdog that used an old case to force them to appear. The strategy seemed to be a clear attempt to pressure them into complying.

A well-known intelligence official’s name was wrongfully used in the multi-billion land scam. The enraged intelligence official immediately notified the CDA chairman and the watchdog’s chairman after learning of his name being used in the fraudulent scheme, promising to take strict action against all perpetrators.

The CDA responded swiftly to the revelations, taking action last Friday by suspending two of its officials and launching a thorough investigation. The three-person inquiry team, led by Director Security, Fatehul Manan, presented its findings within three days.

The investigation revealed that fabricated documents had been used to allocate land to the heirs of two original landowners.

Historical records show that the CDA acquired these original landowners’ properties years ago, making them eligible for alternative land provisions. However, these individuals had already been compensated with land in Sector E-11 in 2006, which was subsequently sold to two private housing entities—Multi Professional and National Police Foundation.

The land directorate made a surprising oversight by failing to consult the CDA’s revenue department or the DC office, both of which are essential for maintaining records of previous land allocations, before finalizing the recent questionable allotment.

Also, vital information about land that was previously allocated to certain residents of Sector E-11 was intentionally hidden. A new land request indicated that the 2006 land allocation was unfairly biased in favor of housing societies, making a case for a new eight-kanal allocation in the same sector.

However, undisclosed details from the land directorate came to light, revealing that the original recipients had sold their property through a formal transfer process known locally as mutation (inteqal).

The concerning file was sent to the member estate’s office and was returned with an ambiguous note— “seen as proposed”. By December 2022, the land directorate proceeded with the allotment without revisiting the member estate. Astonishingly, the new allotment was sold via the CDA to an eager buyer without even taking possession.

CDA’s spokesperson, Syed Safdar Shah, in conversation with Dawn, confirmed the fraudulent nature of the allocation, informing the cancellation of the allotment letter.

Shah revealed that “two of our officials have been suspended, and further action against others involved is imminent.”

On being questioned about the alleged intimidation by the watchdog’s officials and the intelligence agency’s timely intervention, Shah remarked, “To be honest, I’m unaware of such details. My role is primarily to represent CDA’s perspective.”

Source: ProPakistani