Senate body declares status of PHA as illegal

The special committee of Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works on Tuesday declared the status of Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA) as illegal and unconstitutional, observing that it has been constituted under a resolution and not by an Act of the Parliament.
Formed under the Cabinet resolution dated May 18, 1999, the PHA was established to provide shelter to low income groups, the poor and the needy. On November 26, 1999, the Chief Executive of Pakistan ordered a complete review of the scheme and consequently, on March 9, 2000, the Cabinet & National Security Council accorded approval for completion of 18 commercially viable and marketable projects.
The committee, which met with its convenor Senator Saeeda Iqbal in the chair at the Parliament House, took notice of the irregularities in the authority and also raised question on its status. The committee further observed that the authority was cheating with the public for the last 11 years and also directed Ministry of Housing & Works and Ministry of Law to undertake measures in this regard.
"The authority is running for the last 11 years without out any legal status and money of million of the people are involved in it", observed convenor of the committee, who also said that all the employees of the authority were also illegal having no legal status. The committee also decided to present its final report to its main committee in which the panel has tagged the status of PHA as illegal and unconstitutional.
Committee member Senator Syed Zaffar Ali Shah said that he would also take up the matter in next session of the Senate so that fate of the authority be decided, adding that it was necessary to take measures to remove public concerns pertaining to their properties' lost. He added that public were being cheated and suggested that activities of the authority should immediately be stopped.
The committee also took strong notice of 800 houses allotted illegally to non-entitled allotees in the Federal Capital and also directed the State Office to get all the houses evacuated within a period of one month. The panel further observed that 40 seminaries have also been constructed illegally in Federal Capital and another 40 house were being illegally used as private clinics by the owners, which should also be evacuated during the said period.
Briefing the panel on the PHA Kuri Road project, the officials of the authority told the committee that the scheme was initially launched for 1250 government officials of grade 17 to 22, but the officials were hesitating to purchase due to high cost.
The PHA officials further said that the authority has forwarded a proposal that instead of handing over a finished house, only building structure be constructed before handing over to the owner, which would reduce the cost up to 35 percent. They added that another proposal has also been sent to Prime Minister to provide a special grant for the developments of the infrastructure to further reduce the cost. The panel was informed that PHA has given Rs 440 million to Capital Development Authority (CDA) for purchasing land for the said project. The officials added that there was also proposal that instead of giving houses to the officials, plots should be given after development.