Islamabad, Pakistan: A number of serving and former civil and military bureaucrats are worried about their investments after FIA book Kamran Lashari in Grand Hayyat Hotel Islamabad case.
Majority of buyers are considering follow Chairman PTI Imran Khan to move to the court to ensure their investments in One Constitution Avenue (Grand Hayyat Hotel Islamabad) after the vacation of stay order that was in favour of the leaser.
Islamabad High Court (IHC) has allowed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to probe this high profile case thoroughly.
It may be mentioned that Capital Development Authority (CDA) cancelled the lease of One Constitution Avenue (Grand Hayyat Hotel Islamabad) last year but investigations were halted due to a stay order in favour of leaser that is recently vacated by the court.
FIA has already registered cases against former former CDA Chairman Kamran Lashari and a number of serving and retired bureaucrats while FIA sources claim that there is possibility of involvement of more bureaucrats in this high profile case once investigations move on further.
This case involves top bureaucrats as accused persons and famous personalities as buyers of apartments whose investments are at stake after the cancellation of lease by the CDA.
Deputy Director FIA Lahore Jamil Ahmed Khan Mayo while talking to media confirmed that cases were registered against former Chairman CDA Kamran Lashari, former member planning Brig (retired) Nusrat, former member finance Kamran Qureshi, former member admin Shaukat Mohammad, former member engineering Moin Kakakher, former additional legal advisor Rai Nawaz Kharal, former director estate management-II Habib-ur-Rehman Gillani, and former director PMO Dr Faisal Awan under sections 409 (Criminal breach of trust by public servant), 419 (Cheating by personation), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 471(Using as genuine a forged document), 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender), 109 PPC R/w 5(2) 47 Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).
Former Chairman CDA and incumbent Director General, Walled City of Lahore Authority Kamran Lashari got restraining order against his arrest and IHC directed the FIA not to arrest Lashari but directed him to join investigations.
Top names of serving and retired members of civil and military bureaucracy whose investments are at stake include Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, former State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Mohammad Ashraf Wathra, Pemra Chairman Absar Alam, former chief justice of Pakistan Nasirul Mulk, former Lahore High Court (LHC) chief justice Iftikhar Hussain Chaudhry, Minister Jam Kamal Khan, former naval chief Mohammad Asif Sandila, former foreign secretary Salman Bashir, Lt Gen (retired) Ahsan Azhar Hayat, former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ehsan Mani, former Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar, and former chief land commissioner Sajid Hotiana.
M/s BNP Pvt Ltd has gone into appeal after loosing case in Islamabad High Court (IHC) that (Writ Petition#3043 of 2016). IHC has now vacated stay order which was in favour of M/s BNP Pvt Ltd to enable FIA to investigate the case while it is in appeal stage.
It may be mentioned that the CDA on July 29, 2016, cancelled the lease due to several irregularities allegedly committed by the leaser. CDA while contesting its case in IHC claims that after the cancellation of the lease, the BNP (private) Ltd (is) was no longer the lawful owner of the land and cannot transfer the possession of the apartments to any third party.
According to highlights of the case, CDA auctioned the 13.5-acre plot on the Constitution Avenue to the BNP Group for Rs4.88 billion on March 9, 2005.
CDA claims that it initially wanted to lease out the land for 33 years for the construction of a six-storey building and it prequalified nine firms but cancelled the bidding process and issued another advertisement in which the lease period increased from 33 to 99 years.
The possession of the plot was given to the buyer the same year after receiving Rs800 million. CDA record indicates that BNP provided Rs1.02 billion to CDA till CDA and BNP went to disputation while the remaining Rs3.85 billion were (are) recoverable in installments until 2026 as the former Chairman of the CDA, Syed Tahir Shahbaz who is now Secretary Establishment rescheduled the payment plan in 2012 and allowed the BNP to pay the remaining amount till 2026.
CDA further claims that the BNP sold apartments in the building without obtaining a completion certificate and built over 240 apartments against approved number of service apartments that was 124 apartments.
