ISLAMABAD: The auditor general of Pakistan (AGP) has objected to the allotment of two plots to Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director General Faud Asadullah in an upcoming sector by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and termed it “irregular”.

The audit report also pointed out that the CDA had failed to demolish illegal structures in private housing societies, including Bahria Town, despite the direction of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The irregularity of allotment of plots to the incumbent IB director general has been pointed out in the audit report for the financial year 2021-2022.

According to the report, the CDA allotted two plots to Mr Asadullah under land sharing in violation of CDA Land Acquisition Regulations.

“Para-5 of CDA Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Regulations 2007 states that the land owners/affectees with land holding of less than 4 kanal or more than multiple of 4 kanal may pool their land for land sharing policy. The affectee having any surplus land over and above the multiples of four will have the option to pool the same as per policy or receive payment at market rate basis to be determined by Deputy Commissioner CDA and only on pooling will be allowed,” the report said

It observed: “The Director Land & Rehabilitation, CDA allotted two plots measuring 50x90 [1 kanal]…in Sector C-14, Islamabad under Land Sharing Policy 2007.”

As per audit report, the plot worth Rs35 million was allotted to Mr Asadullah under the land sharing against the land jointly owned by him and one Imran Ahmed through pooling under the policy.

“According to Land Sharing Policy 2007, only one pooling was allowed instead of multiple pooling. This resulted in irregular allotment of plots through multiple pooling system.” The irregularity was pointed out to the CDA in June last year, but “the authority did not reply”.

The Departmental Audit Committee (DAC), comprising officials of the auditor general office and the CDA, convened meetings on Nov 10, 2021, Dec 10, 2021, followed by reminders on Dec 22, 2021, Dec 31, 2021, Jan 7, 2022 and Jan 20, 2022, but to no avail, the report said.

The auditors “recommended an inquiry for fixing responsibility besides taking an early action” against the officials responsible for the irregularity.

Bahria Town encroachment

The report pointed out that the CDA had failed to demolish encroachments in Bahria Town Phase-V and also avoided adopting legal course against the delinquent officials.

It referred to a 2014 decision of the IHC in which direction had been issued to the CDA authorities to remove the encroachments and lodge an FIR against officials of the civic agency and the housing society.

The audit observed: “Despite lapse of three years, the Building Control Directorate failed to collect proper data of violation of illegal structures.”

The CDA did not respond to the office of the auditor general while the audit objection could not be resolved in repeated meetings of the Departmental Audit Committee, the report stated.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2022