The Federal Investigation Agency has arrested six former and current Capital Development Authority (CDA) officials on suspicion of accepting a tampered design for the Pakistan Medical Cooperative Housing Society (PMCHS).
The officials are accused of reducing the width of a Nullah from 60-70 feet to 18 feet, leading to a disastrous flood in Sector E-11.
The illegal activity was uncovered after a flood in July 2021 that claimed two lives, and a subsequent investigation found that the narrowing of the Nullah was one of the primary causes.
Despite the society only having 178 Kanals and 16 Marlas, the original design was approved in 2007 for a land area of 256.97 Kanals. The project was rejected in 2008 but was unlawfully approved again in 2012 for 276 Kanals of land that the organization did not own.
The Nullah’s width was in violation of the guidelines, and the Nullah was covered illegally, contrary to CDA policy. This led to major flooding on Street No. 02 on July 28, 2021, causing the deaths of two individuals.
The officials and the society president have been charged under various provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947. The investigation highlights the importance of effective monitoring and accountability in the licensing process for housing projects to prevent such incidents in the future.
