Briefing the Senate standing committee on housing and works, Kakar said the former housing minister issued the eligibility letters to occupants of Jamshed quarters and Marton quarters. The market value of this prime land was worth Rs 450 billion, he added.He said the housing ministry had sought comments from the law ministry regarding the status of eligibility letters.
Kakar said the summary was moved in the federal cabinet twice during the previous government to give ownership rights to people living in government accommodations in Karachi and G-6 sector in Islamabad but was plainly rejected.
The minister said issuance of eligibility letters by the former housing minister, who hails from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), were neither according to any cabinet decision or government's rules.
He said these letters don't confer the right of ownership and housing ministry had advised people through advertisement in the media not to enter into any deal based on eligibility letters as they don't entitle any body to sell government houses.
The standing committee asked the housing and works ministry to produce the text of eligibility letters in the committee's next meeting. The housing scam in Karachi also echoed in the last session of the Senate when Advisor to the Prime Minister on Interior, Rehman A Malik ordered an investigation into the matter and promised to present the report in the upper house of the parliament.
POLICE: The committee took strong notice of the police officials who have illegally occupied government houses for years. The committee has decided to summon Inspector General of Islamabad Police and Interior Secretary in the next meeting to seek explanation why committee's recommendations have been flouted when senior high ups of the police gave assurance that all the illegally occupied flats would be vacated soon.
The Estate Office authorities told the standing committee that police officials occupying government accommodation have been behaving like a mafia and sought the committee's help in this regard.
Estate Officer Sher Afzal Khan complained that the police have 'silent' approval from certain quarters that was one of the basic reasons behind Estate Office's inability to get the occupied houses vacated.
Committee chairman, Muhammad Ali Brohi said they would seriously take up the matter and will discuss options including using Rangers to vacate the houses occupied by the police personnel in the next meeting.
NAB: The committee also took up the issue of Chamba House being used by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Lahore.
OUT OF TURN ALLOTMENTS: The standing committee was told that 2,745 number of houses were allotted to federal government employees since 2005 on out of turn basis in relaxation of rules. Similarly, 244 number of allotments were made by the federal government from waiting list since 2005. The Estate Officer Islamabad informed that their record has been burnt in July 2007 due to incident of Lal Masjid.