ISLAMABAD, June 9: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik has assured lawmakers of action against those private housing societies in the capital city which are involved in malpractices, and endorsed the idea of a parliamentary committee to probe their affairs.

“Let there be a parliamentary committee and we will assist it, if it could bring relief to the victims,” Mr Malik said during the question hour of the National Assembly here on Monday. The proposal for the formation of a parliamentary committee was made by MNA Mehreen Anwar Raja.

He said his ministry would also hold investigations and a detailed report would be presented to the house.

According to the adviser, currently 45 cooperative housing societies were registered with the Cooperative Societies Department, Islamabad Capital Territory. He said no cooperative society in the capital was operating without registration.

About the Senate Secretariat Employees Cooperative Housing Society, he said it had 3,909 members, and added that the society had so far acquired land measuring 914 kanals in 10 mozas — Har Dogehr, Gargi, Kangota, Sher Dhamail, Kathril, Peja, Deya, Dahlialala, Bora and Daewala — in Zone-V of Islamabad.

Mr Malik said following the directions by a subcommittee of the Senate Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights, efforts were being made by the managing committee of the society to exchange land scattered in various mozas to make available a consolidated piece of land for the better management and development of the scheme in the interest of its members.

He said the society had so far been able to consolidate a piece of land measuring 405 kanals, adding that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had approved layout plan of the society over 405 kanals and 11 marlas after completion of legal formalities.

The adviser said following submission of engineering designs to the CDA in September 2007, the civic authority issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the society in April 2008.

When a parliamentarian asked as to why a society not possessing a compact piece of land is registered, Mr Malik said there was no such condition in the Societies Act. He, however, said an amendment in the act could be proposed.

Answering a question, he said Parliamentarians Housing Society was not registered with the Cooperative Societies Department, therefore, no information about the society could be provided by the department’s registrar.

A member of the house expressed his surprise on the use of the name of parliamentarians for private housing societies.

“Is everybody entitled to use the name of parliamentarians for commercial gains and for selling his commodities and products,” he posed a question.

Mr Malik said the societies had been involved in frauds for a long time, and action should have been taken long long ago. He assured the house that legal action would be taken against societies found involved in wrongdoings.

Under CDA’s ICT (Zoning) Regulation, 1992, private housing schemes can be sponsored by a cooperative society registered under the Cooperative Societies Act, 1925, and by a private limited company listed with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan in Zone-II, Zone-V and in Sector E-11. The size of the scheme should not be less than 800 kanals in Zone-II, and 400 kanals in Sector E-11 and Zone-V.

Presently, there are four stages of approval of a housing scheme, i.e. approval of layout plan, approval of engineering designs, issuance of NOC and development of infrastructure including roads and other services.

The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat recently reviewed the matters relating to the housing societies operating in the federal capital and took serious notice of the alleged irregularities committed by these societies. The committee directed the CDA to rein in the housing societies.

The Senate body also took exception to the faulty and substandard development work carried out by various housing societies operating in different zones of the ICT, and demanded strict checks by the CDA, particularly with regard to compliance with relevant rules and regulations.