ISLAMABAD: Although No. 3 in the order of protocol, the speaker of the National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, has to live in a substandard lodge because his predecessor continues to occupy the official house, Dawn has learnt.

But he is not alone in suffering the misery. Official sources say that federal ministers Anusha Rehman and Sikandar Bosal also are living in, what the sources called, “makeshift arrangements” for the same reason.

Sources in the ministry of housing and works said that notices were served early this week on the former speaker, Dr Fehmida Mirza, the former interior minister, Rehman Malik, the former chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme, Farzana Raja and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to vacate the luxurious houses they had been occupying in the Ministers’ Enclave and clear the dues outstanding against them.

Together they reportedly owe about Rs3.2 million to the Estate Office.

Under the law, federal ministers, state ministers, special assistants and advisers to the prime minister have to vacate their official residences within 15 days of relinquishing the charge of their office.

Since the term of PPP government ended on March 16 this year, the sources said, the worthies should have vacated their official residences by April 1.

Worse, they did not pay the rent of “just over Rs100,000 per month” for the subsequent period they stayed in Ministers’ Enclave without authority.

Although the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) deducts the house rent from the salaries of the ministers, there is no mechanism for collection of rent from unauthorised residents.

“We can only request them to clear the dues,” said the sources.

They revealed that the Ministry of Housing and Works is being run by a joint secretary, Umar Rasool, because there is no secretary there.

“And being a junior officer, he would be rather shy of taking strict action against unauthorised occupants,” the sources suggested.

Despite repeated attempts, Joint Secretary Rasool could not be contacted for comments.

Deputy Secretary Mohammad Salim, however, said the ministry was making every effort that the political figures vacate the houses.

An official of the National Assembly confirmed that Speaker Ayaz Sadiq is living in the Parliament Lodges.

Dr Fehmida Mirza, Rehman Malik and Farzana Raja were not available for comments.

JUI-F spokesman Jan Achakzai told Dawn that Maulana Fazlur Rehman could not hand over the official house in his possession to the Estate Office because “it needed some repairs”.

Now the repair work is almost done and the house would be vacated soon, he added.