ISLAMABAD: The Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) has stirred controversy by advertising 7,450 residential and commercial properties in the G-12 and F-12 sectors without obtaining prior approval from its Executive Board, raising concerns among officials.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, who also serves as the Housing Minister, has taken notice of this development and instructed the Housing Secretary to submit a detailed report on the matter.
An initial assessment of Built-Up Properties (BuP) reveals that there are 4,100 residential properties in G-12 and 2,400 in F-12, totaling 6,500 residential properties.
Additionally, there are 600 commercial properties in G-12 and 350 in F-12, bringing the total commercial properties in these sectors to 950.
The tentative prices of plots, ranging from 139 square yards to 500 square yards, vary between Rs8,340,000 to Rs30,000,000.
Top government sources have disclosed that the FGEHA hastily advertised these residential and commercial properties without obtaining approval from the Executive Board, which includes the Minister for Housing, Managing Director of the Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA) Foundation, Chief Commissioner, Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Director General of the Public Works and Planning Department (PPWD), and others.
Critics argue that the launch of the F-12 and G-12 sectors lacked a viable financial model and was seemingly intended to raise funds from the general public and overseas Pakistanis without adequate planning or a timeline for plot delivery.
This advertisement was released despite a judgment in the Intra Court Appeal of FGEHA, where a two-member bench, including the then Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, declared on 03.02.2022 that the launch of F-12, F-14, F-15, and G-12 sectors was illegal and against the public interest.
Reportedly, FGEHA has challenged this decision in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and the matter remains sub-judice.
During the PTI-led government’s tenure, the federal cabinet allocated these two sectors to FEGHA in 2020, and a sub-committee was formed to handle land acquisition and unresolved issues related to BuPs.
This committee approved that FGEHA would revise the awards notified in 1985 to determine suitable compensation for affected individuals.
In 2021, FGEHA’s Executive Board announced compensation amounting to Rs. 6,290,000 per kanal, plus 15 percent compulsory acquisition charges (totaling Rs.7,233,500/- per kanal).
Besides, the FGEHA has decided on a quota system for allotment, with 40 percent reserved for federal government employees.
The remaining allocation will be distributed to the general public, landowners (based on a land-sharing ratio of 4:1 and 2:0.5), and overseas Pakistanis.
However, several challenges persist in the form of residents from both sectors threatening to resist eviction without receiving compensation.
These issues have led to concerns that the advertisement could be seen as a potential public fraud, causing embarrassment for the government and FGEHA.
Source: The News
