PM forms probe body to look into Port Qasim land lease scandal

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE, MAR 10 (DNA): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a three-member inquiry committee to investigate alleged irregularities regarding the lease of the land of the Port Qasim Authority (PQA).

The PM Inspection Committee chairman will serve as the inquiry committee convener, with the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) directors as members.

The development comes after the issue was highlighted by Senate Committee on Maritime Chairman Senator Faisal Vawda. The PQA land, allegedly, had been leased out for setting up small and medium industrial parks.

The government then took notice of the mega scandal and decided to investigate the matter.

Meanwhile, the three-member probe body will seek the vacation of stay against cancellation of the lease agreement spanning 12 years.

The committee will investigate whether the PQA reassessed the land value before the settlement and whether the current market rates were considered in the decision-making process.

The inquiry will assess PQA’s legal strategy regarding lease cancellations that remained under stay orders for 12 years.

It will also scrutinise the rationale behind the PQA board’s decision to pursue an out-of-court settlement with litigants, including the legal opinions supporting the move.

Additionally, the committee will determine whether PQA reassessed land costs before settlements and whether market rates were considered. It will also examine why the settlement offer was not rescinded when the litigant declined it, identifying governance lapses that contributed to delays.

It will then submit its report to the prime minister within two weeks, while the Ministry of Maritime Affairs will provide secretarial support.

Scandal

According to Vawda, a controversial agreement was signed on July 9, 2024, for 500 acres of land at Port Qasim, with an advance payment of only 2 per cent— a fraction of the land’s estimated Rs60 billion value.

During a recent committee meeting, attended by the PQA chairman and the acting Karachi Port Trust chairman, lawmakers uncovered significant irregularities in the deal, leading to its cancellation within 72 hours.

Vawda accused PQA of misleading the public through media rebuttals and questioned why the land sale was reversed so quickly if it was legitimate. He also criticised the Port Qasim Board for allegedly selling land worth Rs60 billion for just Rs5 billion, beyond its legal authority.

Vawda recommended freezing pending payments for land acquisitions at Port Qasim, Karachi Port Trust, Gwadar Port, and the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) until further investigations are completed.

Appearing on Geo News’ Programme “Capital Talk”, Vawda revealed the details of the land scam with documentary evidence. He also held Minister for Maritime Affairs Qaisar Sheikh responsible for the negligence.

The senator said during this period, they also published a denial in some unknown newspapers. Land worth millions was sold for Rs800,000 to Rs1 million per acre.

He said that he had the documents that the Federal Investigation Agency FIA, the Anti-Corruption Department, and the National Accountability Bureau could not collect in five years.

“They approached under the garb of foreign investors. When confronted, we were told that the foreigners had run away. Since 2018, there were 14,000 acres, which have been left to only 135 acres,” he said.