A story of DHA plots sale

ISLAMABAD: Former and current heads of the DHA Karachi have rubbished allegations of Transparency International Pakistan regarding alleged foul play in conversion of plots.

Former Corps Commander Karachi Lieutenant General (R) Sajjad Ghani, while talking to The News on Monday, stated that nature of 225 residential plots situated on Main Beach Avenue DHA Phase-VIII was changed into commercial plots after his retirement and nothing like that was done during his tenure as Corps Commander.

He told The News that the Defence Housing Authority sold 225 residential plots measuring 300 square yards at the price of Rs20 million from October 2014 to first quarter of 2015. On April 10, 2015, the executive board of the authority gave approval of these plots’ conversion which were sold at the price of Rs220 million each that resulted in a colossal loss of allegedly Rs45 billion to DHA, a body constituted under an act of the Parliament.

Brigadier Zubair Ahmed, the DHA Karachi administrator confirmed that 225 residential plots were converted into commercial plots during the month of April 2015. He, however, said there is no illegality in conversion as the Executive Board of the DHA is fully empowered to change the nature of the plots.

“The Executive Board is fully authorised to change the land utilisation and this is up to the discretion of the board to change a residential land into commercial one and this has happened not for the first time but it happened in past as well as there is no illegality in this. This particular area of DHA Phase-VIII i.e. Beach Avenue do not come under the jurisdiction of Cantonment Board, therefore there was no need of getting approval of Cantt Board for changing the nature of these plots,” commented Brigadier Zubair Ahmed. 

When asked about the loss occurred to the DHA after changing the nature of the land from residential into commercial, Brigadier Zubair said the DHA has to bear no loss in conversion of the nature of the plots as the authority got additional charges and commercialisation fees from the buyers of these plots; therefore, there is no question of loss to DHA.

To a question about the beneficiaries of some of the DHA office bearers who bought these plots when they were residential, Brigadier Zubair said he can guarantee that the whole process of policy making regarding changing the nature of land utilisation was transparent and the decision was taken within one day so that people could not take any undue benefit from this policy or exploit it.

“I can guarantee you that there was no such intention in taking this policy decision. The executive board took this decision due to shortage of funds and later the authority built roads with this money. On one Friday morning the DHA’s Executive Board took up the issue and gave approval of changing nature of these plots and by the same evening it was implemented so that no one could exploit this policy.

Asked whether any inquiry in the same case of converting 225 residential plots into commercial plots or about plot transfer from Lahore to Karachi was pending against him, Gen (R) Sajjad Ghani categorically denied any inquiry against him in any case.

“I am not aware of the issue of converting 225 residential plots into commercial as I was retired before this. As far as I know this never happened in my tenure as Corps Commander Karachi; therefore it is better to ask from DHA,” commented Gen (R) Sajjad Ghani.

Ghani was retired from his post as Corps Commander Karachi on October 01, 2014 whereas the plots were sold as residential after October and were converted as commercial in April 2015.

“As a Corps Commander I did not have any discretionary powers to transfer my plot from one city to other. This decision was taken relevant authority as all such kind of decisions are always taken relevant authority. Therefore I am not responsible of transferring my plot from Lahore to Karachi,” he commented.

The Transparency International Pakistan has written a letter to Chairman NAB on April 07, 2016 to examine this issue and take action against those responsible of this alleged illegality.

“DHA in 2015 illegally converted 225 residential plots on main Beach Avenue, Phase VIII, into Commercial Plots. Many DHA officers are reported to have purchased many of the 300 syds residential plots at around Rs20 million prior to DHA illegally declaring these plots as Commercial. The prices of these plots have risen to Rs220 million each,” the letter says.

According to this letter, this change of land use is illegal and is against the Supreme Court of Pakistan order, as the authority of conversion of the land use rests only with Cantonment Board under Section 184 and 185 of the Cantonment Act 1924.

The letter further says, “Many DHA officers are reported to have purchased many of the 300 syds residential plots at around Rs 20 million prior to DHA illegally declaring these plots as Commercial, The prices of these plots has risen to Rs 220 million each. One such plot reportedly purchased by some DHA officer in his wife's name in October 20 14 is 300 syd plot No 185-E of Ms. Shaban. Owner of one such Plot 223-E was informed by DHA on 10.4.2015 about the change of status from residential to commercial”.

The TI Pakistan claims that the complaint has been examined and prima facie the allegation of illegal acts of DHA Karachi of selling unapproved DHA City and illegal conversion of 225 Plots of 300 syds from residential to commercial appears correct.—Originally published in The News