ISLAMABAD, Nov 25: An adjournment motion filed by opposition members to question the transfer of state land costing about Rs500 billion by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to the military authorities at throwaway prices was killed in the National Assembly secretariat before it could be taken up for debate, parliamentarians told Dawn.

"The government did not give any justification for killing the adjournment motion," said MNA Khawaja Asif. Khawaja Asif and other senior opposition parliamentarians, including MNAs Aitzaz Ahsan, Nisar Ali Khan, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Nayyer Bokhari had moved the adjournment motion on October 21 during the previous session of the lower house.

"Land owned by CDA is public property and its sale on less than market rate is a loss to the people of Pakistan," said the adjournment motion moved by the parliamentarians.

According to the National Assembly rules of procedure, the adjournment motion was supposed to be brought to the notice of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao, Defence Minister Rao Sikander Iqbal and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afgan so they could present government's version on the issue.

Talking to Dawn, MNA Asif said previously the government used to inform the members about the reasons if an adjournment motion or a question moved by the legislators was dropped from the agenda but in this particular case no reason was given for killing the motion.

"The NA secretariat simply informed me that the motion was not being placed on the agenda without giving any reason," he said. The government, he said, avoided scrutiny of the transfer of state land by public representatives despite its claims of following a policy of transparency in matters of governance.

He vowed the opposition parties would continue to demand transparency in governance and raise the issue as it involved colossal loss to the public exchequer. The CDA has already accepted that land was transferred to military authorities for construction of GHQ at a price lower than the prevailing market rates.

"The charge of raw land has been settled at rates in line with other government departments and institutions which are much lower than the commercial auction value," CDA admitted while clarifying its position on the issue.

According to CDA, transfer of 870 acres of prime land falling "in the area of National Park Zone-III was in addition to the land allocated for the construction of the new GHQ."

The adjournment motion, which was not taken up for debate, said the valuable property had been given by CDA "for pittance thus incurring a huge loss (more than half of national budget) to national exchequer and the people of Pakistan."

The adjournment motion while quoting a news item said since the land sold to the GHQ fell in the area of the National Park area, it could not be sold or purchased or used for any construction.

"The enormity of loss, both financial and ecological, demands that the matter should be immediately taken up by the House by suspending its normal business," said the motion.

The adjournment motion, while reminding the government its duty to protect the interests of the people of Pakistan, said no organization or entity had the right to buy or sell public property or enter into any deal which could be detrimental to public interest.