ISLAMABAD(National Times)- The federal government on Wednesday said that a joint investigation team had revealed that Islamabad\u2019s One Constitution Avenue was built on \u201cirregularities and rigging\u201d and announced that the residential building will soon be turned into a five-star hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The building, a skyscraper in the federal capital that houses residential apartments, had its lease cancelled by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) due to the company behind the project defaulting on payments. The decision was upheld by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The building was initially supposed to be a five-star hotel project; however, instead of functioning as a five-star hotel, it was converted into residential apartments and commercial areas. The IHC\u2019s order led to the mass evictions of residents in May, following which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday alongside Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the JIT presented its report to the federal cabinet today, noting that the project was fraudulent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said that the report had input from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the Federal Investigation Agency, the Federal Board of Revenue, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, the Intelligence Bureau and Inter-Services Intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey carefully assessed this project and presented the report, and it was approved,\u201d Iqbal said. \u201cThe JIT has clearly identified that the project was created based on irregularity and rigging and that the bidding process was manipulated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iqbal added that, according to the report, rules were ignored to provide benefits and the company which was given the lease had no rightful claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn this whole matter, the CDA was found complicit, and similarly, the conditions of the bank guarantee were removed to provide benefits to the developers,\u201d he stated. \u201cThe work which was carried out was conducted in a very suspicious manner and the apartments were sold illegally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He noted that the project was initially approved as a five-star hotel two decades ago, but later it was turned into apartments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe JIT has identified Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, who has been called the mastermind and was found to be in connivance with CDA officials,\u201d the planning minister added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCDA officers such as Kamran Lashari, who was chairman at the time, Dr Faisal Awan, Azhar Ali Chaudhry, Brigadier (retired) Nasrullah and Marhoom Rai Nawaz Kharal were found to be colluding in fraud,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iqbal said that as a result of the scheme, the national exchequer suffered losses, while the aforementioned people \u201cgained financially and defrauded the Pakistani people of their invested capital\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe JIT recommended that Sheikh and his company be blacklisted from future public projects and that proceedings be launched against him,\u201d the minister added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was further recommended that the project be reviewed and work undertaken to achieve its original purpose as a hotel. Additionally, the report recommended that the project be started anew and auctioned in a transparent manner, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSecurity clearance and clearance from other institutions should also be sought so that future projects have a steady framework to prevent this type of fraud from happening again,\u201d Iqbal said, adding that fire safety and other protocols must also be ensured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added that according to the JIT, the project should be renamed, as the name \u2018One Constitution Avenue\u2019 was the same address as the finance ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey used this address for marketing purposes only,\u201d the minister asserted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere will be action taken against those found involved in fraud. The government has a responsibility to protect those who were robbed or swindled.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iqbal said it was decided that those defrauded would receive compensation, their principal investments would be refunded and payments would be adjusted against their Kibor interest \u201cso they do not suffer losses\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was also recommended that the CDA and its ordinance be overhauled and that an independent master plan commission be formed to shut the door on such fraud in the future,\u201d he announced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iqbal added that all of the records must be digitised and officers should be rotated between the state planning, enforcement and building control departments every two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeople have held offices for 20 years and opened offices of fraud. With this constant rotation, it will close the door on these corrupt projects,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the same way, pre-audit auctions and contracts from third parties will be consulted, and in light of this JIT report, NAB has been ordered to take action against anyone involved in this project, and those who facilitated it,\u201d Iqbal said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also addressed a press conference on Wednesday and said that the government had now regained possession of the skyscraper, vowing to turn the building into a five-star hotel within months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn official documents, we always had possession of this building, and after the cabinet\u2019s approval, it is now legally in our possession,\u201d Naqvi maintained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He regretted that the government\u2019s decision to regain control of the building earlier this year had been portrayed as a \u201ccrime\u201d, decrying how Islamabad\u2019s land had been infringed upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe will try our best to convert this building into a five-star hotel in months,\u201d the interior minister announced, reaffirming that this had been the project\u2019s primary objective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is a severe shortage of hotels in Islamabad. We will soon try to make an agreement with a large chain of hotels and convert this building into a five-star hotel,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He commended the CDA chairman and legal team for pursuing this case; however, Naqvi also reproached the CDA for being at fault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNAB will tell who is responsible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs per JIT recommendations, we will try to make rightful payments to the occupants,\u201d Naqvi said. \u201cThis is binding for us after the report.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The interior minister said he was grateful to PM Shehbaz, recalling that the prime minister had assured him that the right decision would be taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Naqvi further said that a residents\u2019 committee, which was overseeing the building\u2019s affairs, had been abolished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA CDA member will look after the building\u2019s matters from now on,\u201d he said, reiterating that the hotel would be operational soon and be a \u201cgift to the people of Islamabad\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD(National Times)- The federal government on Wednesday said that a joint investigation team had revealed that Islamabad\u2019s One Constitution Avenue was built on \u201cirregularities and rigging\u201d and announced that the residential building will soon be turned into a five-star hotel. The building, a skyscraper in the federal capital that houses residential apartments, had its lease […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":135882,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-135881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n