ISLAMABAD - Senate Standing Committee on Interior on Tuesday decided to write a letter to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) seeking action against various private housing societies falling in the limits of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) for allegedly committing irregularities and fraud. 

The committee that met under the chair of Senator Mohsin Aziz also decided to form a sub-committee under the convenorship of PML-N Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmad to probe the alleged scam. 

The chair, in consultation with the members, directed to form the sub-committee after it heard a number of plaintiffs who informed the meeting about their grievances against the housing societies. 

The affectees of housing societies raised their complaints against Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) Employees Cooperative Housing Society, Jammu and Kashmir Housing Society, Pakistan Medical Cooperative Housing Society, Ghauri Town Housing Society and Ghauri Green Housing Society.  

Affectees raise complaints against PAEC Employees Cooperative Housing Society, Jammu and Kashmir Housing Society, Pakistan Medical Cooperative Housing Society, Ghauri Town Housing Society, Ghauri Green Housing Society

An affected woman told the meeting that she had purchased a plot in PAEC Employees Cooperative Housing Society in 2005 and paid all the price but could not get possession of her property till yet. The committee was informed that the management had not developed the said plot as it has been proposed to be developed on shamlat land (land for common use). “Why the land of shamlat was purchased for the society,” questioned Senator. He called for taking an action against those involved in this irregularity.  

Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Hamza Shafqaat informed the meeting that no new cooperative housing society has been registered in Islamabad in the last 15 years. He said that 24 cases of alleged fraud and irregularities have been registered against management of Ghauri Town and society’s bank accounts have been frozen besides sealing its offices. “We have been telling the people that it is an illegal society but people keep on buying properties there even today.” 

The committee also sought report from Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Moazzam Jah Ansari and Regional Police Officer (RPO) Rawalpindi Ashfaq Ahmed Khan in its next meeting about the murder of Pakistani origin US national Wajiha Farooq Swati. The chairman committee remarked that IG KP and RPO Rawalpindi would be summoned in the next meeting along with a report on the subject. 

Rawalpindi Police have recently claimed that ex-husband of the lady has confessed to killing the woman after she landed in Pakistan from abroad over two months ago.  

Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar raising the matter said that it was a brutal murder case and the state should pursue the case as children of the deceased woman were living abroad. He demanded that culprits should be brought to book. 

The meeting also deferred the Islamabad Capital Territory Waqf Properties (Amendment) Bill, moved by Senator Mushtaq Ahmad, till further discussion and a comparative clause-by-clause review of the prevailing laws of other provinces.