I SERVED as Chief Town Planner in Housing Directorate, GHQ, Rawalpindi, from 2014 to 2016 and was tasked with designing two prestigious mega projects, DHA Bahawalpur and DHA Peshawar. I was directed to work from my own private set-up and present these projects officially to the Pakistan Army at different levels, in competition with E’nC branch of the army. My presentation was highly appreciated by the then Adjutant General.

However, it was revealed later that the town planning concept for DHA Peshawar as conceived, designed and prepared privately and presented officially by me to the then Commander 11 Corps and the Board headed by the then AG on GHQ in 2015 is now being implemented on ground with minor changes, coupled with numerous serious tech-anomalies. This is tantamount to intellectual piracy and professional dishonesty.

If this act of piracy on the part of DHA Peshawar and the serious tech-anomalies in the current plan are not rectified, then eventually its members will have to face the music in future but with no solution as it would be too late.

I have exhausted all efforts to seek justice from the concerned quarters to get appropriate monetary compensation for my professional consultancy and ownership of the design concept of DHA Peshawar, but all in vain.

Due to this grave injustice, I and my family have already suffered a lot morally as well as financially, badly affecting my passion for professionalism.

Being the son of a soldier and having served in some esteemed defence organisations, I still consider it more prudent to seek justice within the folds of Pakistan Army instead of going to court.

As a last resort, I seek the intervention of the Chief of the Army Staff with the hope that he will ensure justice.

Muhammad Anwar Jellani
Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2020