PAC panel asks NAB to present inquiry report
ABDUL RASHEED AZAD
ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Thursday directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to present the inquiry report on Grand Hyatt Hotel Islamabad by May 8.
The subcommittee of the Public Accounts Committee which met here under the chairmanship of Mian Abdul Mannan was informed by the officials that the no-objection certificate (NOC) was issued to the Grand Hyatt Hotel without the permission of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It was also informed that agro-farms in Islamabad were turned into residences and commercial farms in violation of rules.
The PAC subcommittee observed that judges, generals and bureaucracy are using the agro-farms for the residential and commercial purposes instead of growing vegetables and other crops for which the farms were leased to these people.
On the issue of Grand Hyatt Hotel, the PAC subcommittee chairman said those who know law and need to respect the law are involved in more law violations on this pretext or that.
He directed the CDA to take action against those officials who were involved in the matter of Grand Hyatt Hotel as the FIA and NAB were also going to finish their job as per the committee directives. The committee was informed that the lease of land for Grand Hyatt Hotel was cancelled, but it was awarded again and even the license was cancelled but was again allowed.
The PAC subcommittee chairman said he has the list of the owners of flats at Grand Hyatt Hotel while the other list is before the court and in the next meeting, the detailed list will be provided to the committee.
The CDA chairman told the committee that even the NOC was issued without permission of the Civil Aviation Authority.
Officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) while briefing the committee admitted that in 2010-11 the authority allotted 19 plots to different persons under fake names. They further added that 11 out of 19 plots were allotted by fraud.
The CDA officials said that the civic body has taken departmental action against the employees involved in the fraud of allocating 19 plots under fake names. The Federal Investigating Agency (FIA) is probing the cases of five plots.
On the application of a widow who in her application to the panel stated that she has paid all the dues of her plot and has already built house there, so the panel must direct the CDA to restore her plot. On her application, the committee directed to restore the ownership of a plot to a widow on the basis of humanity.
Briefing the panel NAB officials said that the Bureau started investigations into the matters of Grand Hyatt Hotel Islamabad in January 2018 and as yet probe is not complete.
The committee directed the NAB to complete the inquiry within next two weeks and present report before the committee as the scam has been unearthed since long.
The audit officials told the committee that the land allocated for agro-farms is being used for residential purposes, as out of 610 plots, 169 plots were not utilized for agriculture purposes, and the same case is with other 339 plots which were not being used for farming but for other purposes, and now this matter is before the court.
The CDA officials said that former president Pervez Musharraf was also among the people who got farm land in Islamabad but instead of using it for agricultural purposes, the retired general has used the agro-farms for residential purposes.
They further said when the action was being taken on it, a committee was formed in the chair of former Senate Chairman Wasim Sajjad and now the matter is before the court of law.
Mian Abdul Mannan observed that judges, generals and bureaucrats have turned the agro-farms into residential area and built wedding halls there. He observed that the justice should be done with all like it is being done with them.
