LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly’s Special Committee No6 on Tuesday questioned the legality of Lahore Gymkhana’s lease, its nominal monthly rent of Rs5,000 and the denial of a commercial audit by the Auditor General of Pakistan, directing relevant departments to submit detailed explanations at its next meeting.
The issue resurfaced after two years during a committee meeting chaired by Chairman Samiullah Khan where members also sought clarification regarding construction approvals, payment of prescribed fees and the use of public land and resources.
The secretary Board of Revenue Punjab informed the committee that the Gymkhana lease was granted in 1996 on the directions of Chief Minister’s secretariat. However, responding to Samiullah Khan’s query about whether the Chief Minister had specifically fixed the monthly rent at Rs5,000, the secretary clarified that the amount was mentioned in a letter issued by the Board of Revenue to the commissioner.
The chairman directed the Board of Revenue to explain how the rent had been determined. He said the matter must be resolved, warning that either the rent would have to be decided afresh or the authorities concerned would collectively bear responsibility for allowing such a low amount. He added that he had received information suggesting the elite considered the existing rent appropriate.
Committee member Iftikhar Hussain Chhachhar said he had no personal dispute with the Gymkhana but wanted the government to explain the basis on which the lease was granted. He remarked that he considered Gymkhana membership a stigma, adding that the public perceived a distinction between the treatment of ordinary citizens and privileged people under the law.
Syed Ali Haider Gilani questioned the Director General Audit about the commercial audit of Lahore Gymkhana. The DG Audit said the club was resisting the audit and had approached the high court. He added that the Auditor General had also filed a petition in the Supreme Court where the case had yet to be scheduled for hearing.
The DG Audit explained that audit jurisdiction extended to institutions involving public funds or government-owned land, regardless of their legal status. Citing the Islamabad Club as an example of an institution subject to audit, he said the matter had already been brought to the chief secretary’s attention.
The committee also examined whether the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Punjab provided facilities to the Gymkhana on land associated with Jinnah Bagh. The DG PHA Punjab said the authority provided certain services related to grass maintenance.
Members Rao Kashif Rahim and Zulfiqar Ali Shah sought details of construction permissions and payment of prescribed fees. The Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue (ADCR), Lahore, assured the committee that the relevant details would be presented at the next meeting.
Parliamentary Secretary Khalid Ranjha said that ending the existence of “two Pakistans” required setting aside the lease and reclaiming the land. Rao Kashif Rahim proposed suspending the Gymkhana committee and appointing an administrator to assess the matter.
Concluding the meeting, Chairman Samiullah Khan directed all relevant departments to answer members’ questions by the following day, warning that failure could lead to referral of the matter to the privileges committee. He said the Gymkhana Committee had been invited to the next meeting to present its position however its absence would not halt proceedings.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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