ISLAMABAD: According to a report issued by Auditor General Pakistan, the two real estate giants, Bahria Town and Defence Housing Authority, have encroached on 785 Kanal of state land along the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway M-9.
While investigating the National Highway Authority’s (NHA) financial affairs, auditors discovered that Bahria Town Karachi (BTK) had infringed on 491-Kanal while DHA City Karachi had taken over 294-Kanal of NHA’s land.
The report also revealed that BTK used 491-Kanal land on M-9 for the construction of an interchange even without obtaining any approval or entering into a lease agreement with NHA.
It was also stated that DHA City built an interchange and access road at NHA’s Land at M-9 Karachi by infringing approximately 3 Km of government land (on both sides of the M-9).
The auditors raised this issue in May-June 2021 but the NHA did not respond. Despite repeated requests, the departmental audit committee did not meet to review this audit para, according to the report.
The auditors recommended an investigation to determine responsibility for those found responsible, as well as the recovery of dues in accordance with NHA policy.
It is relevant to mention here that the Public Accounts Committee grilled the NAB chairman earlier this year for giving the property tycoon an undue favor by allowing him to pay the ‘Rs. 460bn fine’ pertaining to the BTK housing project from the £140m returned to Pakistan by the UK’s National Crime Agency.
