20 Years, Zero Plots: FIA Registers Criminal Case Against Senate Housing Society Management

A Senate subcommittee on Monday directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to expedite its investigation into the Senate Employees Housing Society, expressing concern over delays in resolving a case that has left Senate employees waiting for residential plots for more than two decades.

The subcommittee, chaired by Senator Saifullah Abro, questioned the FIA over the lack of progress despite ordering an inquiry three months ago. FIA officials told the committee that all housing societies had been audited under Supreme Court directives and said the society’s records would be provided if requested.

They also informed lawmakers that a criminal case had already been registered against the society’s management and promised to submit a progress report at the next meeting.

Abro said the housing society was established for Senate employees who had contributed their own funds but alleged that a private individual with no connection to the Senate had effectively taken control of its affairs.

He stressed that no one should be allowed to treat the society as personal property. He noted that, despite the society being created exclusively for Senate employees, no employee had received a plot even after 20 years. Committee members also sought details about action against an individual identified as Sher Ali and asked what options remained for employees awaiting allotments.

FIA officials said an FIR was registered in 2022 against the society’s president, general secretary, and six others under Supreme Court orders, adding that Sher Ali was not among the accused. Abro warned that if the FIA failed to comply with the committee’s directives, the panel would reconsider its engagement with the agency.

The committee also reviewed an update from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), which said it had issued consumption certificates worth Rs. 372 billion over the past five years. Officials said legal action had been initiated in 52 cases, although the companies involved secured relief from the Peshawar High Court. The FBR added that 17 cases involving Rs. 4 billion in the ghee sector had been dismissed, while Rs. 674 million had been recovered from the industry.

Lawmakers also discussed the ongoing cigarette smuggling investigation. While some senators called for regular progress updates, others urged the committee to allow the FIA to complete its investigation without unnecessary interference. The committee concluded that the FIA would continue its inquiry and present its findings at a future meeting.