Sector G-14 of Islamabad: Allottees urge PM, CJ, NAB chief to help retrieve their plots of land

ISLAMABAD: The allottees of Sector G-14 have requested the intervention of Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmad, Prime Minister Imran Khan, and Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) former Justice Javed Iqbal against the land mafia in Sector G-14 of Islamabad that has allegedly deprived thousands of retired government officials of their plots.

Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club (NPC) in Islamabad on Tuesday, President G-14 Allottees Association Sardar Shaheen said, around 4,000 retired federal government officials were allotted plots by the Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation, now known as the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA), in 2004, in Sector G-14, Islamabad, against the payment of prescribed price. The FGEHA had acquired land and paid compensation to the owners of the land, he said.

"Despite our constant efforts for the last 17 years, no significant progress has been made by the FGEHA management. During this period, around 1,200 officials died without getting plot for house. The rest of the retired officials have to reside in costly rented houses in their old age," he said.

The president G-14 Allottees Association said, the Islamabad High Court (IHC), in its decision in 2014, had clearly defined legal and illegal owners of the land on the basis of Google Map 2005.

"But qabza mafia filed writ petitions on different pretexts, which were turned down by the honourable court, and, in latest decision, the court directed the director general FGEHA to submit a report. But, the management of the Authority has not submitted its report. There is now no legal bar on the authority to get the land vacated from the illegal encroachments. But there is no progress in Sector G-14. Instead, the qabza mafia is being helped by the management of the authority and local MNA/Minister Asad Umar to build illegal streets and infrastructure for the illegal occupants of the land in the name of voters of the PTI, which is gross violation of law and against the aim of the prime minister to fight against qabza mafia and provide houses to legal owners of plots," he added.

Shaheen said previous DG FGEHA was doing a good job in taking successful steps against the illegal occupants but he has been transferred along with his team one year before the end of his appointed time/tenure due to political pressure to accommodate qabza mafia.

"The new DG and his team have not done anything after his appointment for the last more than four months and he held no meaningful meeting with the Allottees Association who are the real stakeholders. It is the money paid by the allottees, which is spent for all expenses of the FGEHA including salaries. The salary of each employee and officer of the authority is double than the amount of salary paid to the other government departments.

The government does not pay any grant to the authority. Indeed, the FGEHA has charged substantial additional charges twice from the allottees. At present, there is no significant work except illegal development in the area of encroachments, which will be a fit case for a NAB inquiry," he said. The president G-14 Allottees Association requested the intervention of the CJP, the PM and the chairman NAB into the matter.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021