ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which is probing an alleged encroachment on 2.5 acres state land by Shifa International Hospital, has asked the CDA to form a commission for the measurement of the land originally allotted to the hospital.

The FIA anti-corruption circle, Islamabad, added that the commission, consisting of the CDA revenue department and building control section officials, should also demarcate the encroached land and illegal constructions built on it by the hospital.

“The (proposed) commission may kindly be directed to complete the exercise within a fortnight,” stated a letter sent by the FIA deputy director, Abdul Jalil Khan, to CDA Chairman Maroof Afzal.

Letter sent to CDA asking it to form commission to demarcate land ‘grabbed’ by hospital

The letter (copy available with Dawn) added that the report of the commission along with the record may be shared with the FIA, enabling it to conclude the ongoing inquiry.

The hospital was established in 1993 by Pakistani doctors who had earlier worked in America.

Asked to comment on the FIA directive for the formation of a commission and alleged building violations, a spokesman for the hospital, Azmatullah Qureshi, told Dawn: “We have challenged the CDA and FIA in the court of law, so at this stage we don’t want to comment on the matter.”

The FIA letter stated that the investigation agency had been conducting an inquiry into the allegation that the management of the Shifa International Hospital grabbed 2.5 acres CDA land along a nullah, changing its (nullah’s) direction and raising illegal constructions on the land.

A source in the FIA said the agency also probed alleged irregularities and violations of building by-laws in the construction of the hospital and its medical college.

“We reviewed and investigated the terms and conditions on which the prime land was allotted to Shifa Trust and the layout plan of the hospital and college approved by the CDA,” he said.

Despite repeated attempts, the FIA deputy director, who is the inquiry officer and wrote the letter, could not be contacted for comments.

The CDA currently has no official spokesperson while deputy director media, Malik Saleem, refused to comment on the matter.

However, a source in the CDA confirmed that the letter had been received and the chairman would take a decision on it on Monday.

An official of the CDA building control section told Dawn on the condition of anonymity that Shifa Hospital had made several violations of the layout plan.

“The major violation is not building a proper parking lot as per the layout plan. There are also some violations of the setbacks (the distance between a building and another structure).” However, he added, now the hospital management had sought permission from the CDA to construct a parking plaza on its premises.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2016