ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament was informed on Tuesday that Avacuee Trust Property Board (ATPB) had faced a loss worth Rs 4.90 billion in investment agreements with the Defense Housing Authority (DHA) during previous regimes.
Expressing concern over irregularities in land and investment agreements between ATPB and DHA, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament Tuesday summoned director DHA on next meeting.
The body met here under the chairmanship of Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah and attended by other members of the committee and officials of Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.
During meeting, Auditor General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) informed the committee that ATPB signed an agreement with DHA related to the provision of 1946 kanals land. The DHA was bound to give 33% developed and 100 commercial plots to the trust in return under the agreement.
However, the board reduced the number of plots in its next meeting. After the Supreme Court took notice of the matter, the board restored the decisions taken by it in old meeting and directed DHA to provide plots to the trust in accordance of the agreement.
The audit official said the DHA did not provide even a single plot to the ATPB so far, which caused a loss of Rs 1.93 billion to the trust. Chairman ATPB Saddiq ul Farooq informed the PAC that the trust had held several meetings with DHA in this regard and so far not succeeded to get the plots in accordance of agreement. The trust would again approach the SC to get relief, he added.
On which, the committee summoned officials of DHA during next meeting. The audit officials also informed the PAC that the ATPB also held an agreement in 2009 with DHA with amount of Rs 0.98 billion under which it was suppose to give 50 plot files but neither the DHA gave plots nor it paid the interest. It caused Rs 2.97 billion loss to the trust.
Secretary Religious Affairs informed the committee that after the notice of SC, the amount around Rs 0.98 billion has been recovered but the interest couldn’t be recovered so far.
Saddiq ul Farooq informed the body that the former chairman of the trust had flee abroad, however, the several officials involved in the scam had been made OSDs. He said the matter against the involved people in corruption has been sent to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The committee also expressed displeasure over appearance of an Assistant Director FIA before body for briefing and directed that an officer of BPS-20 should come to attend the PAC meeting.
