Islamabad: The Public Accounts Committee, also known as the parliamentary anti-corruption watchdog, referred a case to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) regarding the illegal transfer of land supposedly left behind by non-Muslims who migrated to India in 1947. Allegedly, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led government made this transfer to the law fraternity without completing legal requirements.
Purportedly, former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani had directed the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) in November 2011 to transfer an under-construction parking plaza along Dev Samaj Road to the Lahore Bar Association (LBA). The land was to be used as a hospital for lawyers, according to ETPB Chairman Siddique-ul-Farooq.
Farooq said the 4-kanal property is worth at least PKR 400 million and was handed over by Gilani without fulfilling legal formalities.
“Since the land is in LBA’s possession it is impossible for us (ETPB) to retake it due to pressure from the legal fraternity,” he added.
The office of the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) reported to a news source that the PPP government had abruptly stopped work on the parking plaza after spending a whopping PKR 66.1 million on it. Furthermore, the government had been unable to recover the PKR 20.2 million mobilisation advance paid to the contractor after the project was abandoned.
PAC Acting Chairperson Dr Azra Pechuho referred the case to NAB upon the recommendation of the AGP and ETPB with instructions to recover PKR 20.2 million from the contractor and to take relevant action against responsible ETPB officials.
