Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has set up a three-member inquiry committee to investigate alleged irregularities in the leasing of Port Qasim Authority (PQA) land. The decision follows claims by Senator Faisal Vawda that the land was leased at extremely low prices during the current government’s tenure.
According to a notification from the Prime Minister’s Office, the land was allocated for a small and medium industrial park. The inquiry committee will examine financial irregularities in the leasing process.
Committee Members and Responsibilities
The committee is led by the chairman of the prime minister’s inspection commission. Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director Sirajuddin Amjad and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director Syed Shahid Hussain are members.
The committee will also review PQA’s legal strategy for canceling the lease. It will assess PQA’s attempts to overturn the stay order against revocation. The panel will examine the reasoning behind the PQA Board’s decision to settle the matter out of court.
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The inquiry panel will review all legal opinions that supported the settlement. It will determine if PQA reassessed the land’s value before settling. The panel will check if the final decision considered the prevailing market rates.
The committee will also examine why PQA did not withdraw its settlement offer immediately when the claimant refused to accept it. Governance issues that delayed the process will also be identified.
Authority to Add Members
If needed, the committee can co-opt additional members. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs will provide secretarial support. The committee must submit its report to the prime minister within two weeks.
Faisal Vawda’s Allegations
Last week, Senator Faisal Vawda exposed an alleged Rs60 billion land scam. He accused a federal minister of negligence and held Maritime Affairs Minister Qaisar Sheikh responsible.
Vawda claimed the deal was scrapped within 72 hours. He alleged that officials ignored his concerns and rushed to cancel the deal. During this period, an official denial was published in little-known newspapers.
According to Vawda, land worth millions per acre was leased for as little as Rs800,000 to Rs1 million.
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