ISLAMABAD-Several cabinet members of the incumbent PTI government are holding dual government residences in the federal capital in violation of rules and regulations, sources informed The Nation.
They said that Federal Minister for Interior Ijaz Ahmed Shah, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur and Federal Minister for National Food Security Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan are holding dual government residences simultaneously, which is illegal and contrary to the rules and regulations.
They said that these lawmakers were allotted family suites number H-201, G-412 and H-301 respectively as Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) at Parliament Lodges Islamabad. However, they said, after their oath as cabinet members, they were allotted official residences inside the Ministers Enclave.
Resultantly, the sources said, their government residences at Parliament lodges were cancelled and further allotted to some other MNAs, who were in queue to get the residences in Parliament Lodges.
However, sources informed, these powerful ministers had refused to hand over possession of the family suites back to the concerned officials and they are still enjoying both residences for which they are not entitled.
Family suites H-201, G-412 and H-301 have been allotted to MNAs Abdul Shakoor Shad, Malik Sohail Khan and Ali Khan Jadoon respectively but they are still waiting to get the keys because same are under the illegal possession of the aforementioned federal ministers.
When contacted, Parliament Lodges Director Faisal Gaddi confirmed that the allotment of these family suites has been transferred to aforementioned MNAs but the previous allottees did not hand over their keys to concerned formation so far.
He however avoided to directly comment on said illegal occupation of government residences and stated: “We have nothing to do with the allotment but it is mandated to the office of the Deputy Speaker National Assembly.”
“We get the possession of residences from former MNAs but cannot do same thing with incumbent one as the Deputy Speaker office is involved in the process”, he explained further.
On the other side, the Director Public Relations National Assembly Mehboob Gurmani was contacted several times but he was unavailable for his comments.
There are 361 luxury family suites in Parliament Lodges where only the MNAs and Senators are entitled for the allotment and those who get a house inside the Minister’s Enclave are supposed to be seized for the allotment at Parliament Lodges.
A source inside the parliament lodges informed that besides aforementioned ministers, State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan is also living at a family suites number A-107 in Parliament Lodges but his stay is justified because he did not get the official residence at Minister’s Enclave.