ISLAMABAD, Sept 10: Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday while hearing identical petitions against the alleged illegal allotments and billions of rupees of corruption in the Capital Development Authority (CDA) constituted a judicial commission to probe the allegations.

Learned judge announced that former Supreme Court judge, Justice (retired) Sardar Raza Khan will head the commission.

The commission would scrutinise the record of all the directorates of CDA and would examine the different development and special projects initiated by present and previous regimes.

The commission would be assisted by two retired sessions’ judges and police officials as well.

Advocate Niazi told Dawn that the commission would also ascertain the transparency in the ongoing projects as well as the projects completed during the previous years.

According to him, the projects like, Saidpur village, allotment of commercial, industrial plots, restaurant sites and kiosks, Zero Point Interchange and the development of other overhead bridges and avenues, light emitting diode (LED) as well as the matter regarding the recruitments in CDA would be examined by the commission.

CDA legal adviser Mohammad Ramzan Chaudhry told Dawn that the authority would extend full cooperation to the commission and would assist its members by utilising all its resources.

If there is any deficiency in the system it must be pointed out and be corrected accordingly, he added.

During the hearing of the petitions filed by estranged senator of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Dr Babar Awan, former president Islamabad bar Niazullah Niazi and barrister Zafarullah Khan, the court also summoned in person Faisal Sakhi Butt a local businessman and former chairman CDA task force on September 17, the next date of hearing.

Justice Siddiqui expressed dissatisfaction over the reply submitted by the CDA director roads and maintenance Anwer Gopang. Meanwhile, the same court also took up petitions of affected villagers of H-16 and I-17. CDA legal advisor provided the details to the court about the compensation the authority had made so far as compensation.

He informed the court that CDA paid Rs1.35 billion to property tycoon Malik Riaz as compensation of his acquired land for this sector.

According to the petitions, CDA has paid more than Rs3 billion to the tycoon and other influential people who purchased the land from the local people against throwaway prices just before the announcement of the said sectors and sold it to the CDA, at comparatively high rates.

The authority, however, did not pay even a single penny to the local residents even after 4 years of acquiring of their inherit land, the petitions added.

The court warned CDA member finance to come up with a solid proposal for the compensation of villagers otherwise the officials concerned may be sent to Adiala Jail.