ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has expedited probe against Ghauri Town – the largest illegal housing society in the capital – and has approached the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for details in this regard.
Through a letter, NAB sought details from the relevant CDA officials who failed to stop the unauthorised growth of the housing scheme.
The letter dated Feb 1, which was shared with different departments of the CDA on Wednesday, stated: “Inquiry is under process at this bureau under the provisions of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance 1999 on the allegations of cheating public at large.”
The accountability bureau sought updated status of all phases of Ghauri Town as well as details of housing projects initiated in the town’s phases 7 and 8, including Ghauri Green, Green Gracia and Green Aspire.
Seeks details of CDA officials who failed to stop the illegal society’s growth
The accountability watchdog also directed the CDA to provide lists of officers who were responsible for dealing with and monitoring Ghauri Town Phase 4 along with their tenure. Besides, the civic body was also asked to share details of the action taken by these officials against development of illegal housing schemes in the aforesaid area.
“Moreover, it is also requested to provide updated status of regularisation of Ghauri Town Zone-4 Islamabad in the light of full house motion passed by Senate of Pakistan in year 2016 for regularisation of illegal housing/projects in Pakistan supported by all relevant documents,” the letter went on to say.
The National Accountability Bureau directed the CDA to provide the said details through a well conversant focal person who has been directed to appear before the combined investigation team of NAB Rawalpindi on or before Feb 12.
According to sources in the CDA, there were over 100 housing societies in Islamabad which were operating illegally. However, the civic agency, despite having a big enforcement directorate, failed to take any serious action against them. Most of these illegal housing schemes had developed during the last two decades.
Earlier, in 2016, the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice, in a report later adopted by the house, had recommended bringing the illegal housing schemes under the ambit of the law.
The report had recommended that the violations of layout plans by housing schemes, which were not possible to rectify, might be accommodated by amending the regulations.
However, no compromise would be made regarding spaces for the public parks. The report had also recommended that any land adjacent to the housing schemes may be utilised as public parks while space for graveyards should be acquired in vicinities and two to three cooperative societies could also make joint ventures for providing and maintaining such spaces.
The sources said so far there was no serious development on the part of the CDA to implement the Senate committee’s recommendations.
Speaking to Dawn, an officer of the civic agency said the CDA’s planning wing through advertisements and its website, frequently appealed to citizens not to invest in illegal housing schemes.
“We have already placed lists of all legitimate and illegal housing schemes on our website for the public,” said an official, adding that the CDA had taken several action in the past against Ghauri Town, including lodging FIRs against its operators. Last year, on the direction of the Public Accounts Committee, registries (sale deeds) were banned in this illegal society.
On the other hand, resident of the largest housing scheme, which comprises eight phases, said thousands of houses had already been constructed therefore, instead of victimising the public by banning registries, the CDA and other concerned departments should take action against the society owner.
