FIA Launches Inquiry into Delayed Plot Handover: CDA and DHA Agreement Under Scrutiny

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has initiated an inquiry into an agreement signed in 2007 between the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

The FIA’s investigation comes after a complaint filed by Dr. Shafiqur Rehman, alleging that the agreement, which involved the transfer of 1,500 kanals of land from the CDA to the DHA, was unilateral, arbitrary, and void ab initio.

Under the agreement, the CDA handed over 1,500 kanals of land in Zone 5 to the DHA, with the understanding that the DHA would provide the CDA with 727 developed plots in return.

The CDA had acquired the land through two awards announced in 1961 and 1964, intending to auction the plots and generate funds for development works.

However, despite listing the plots as receivable assets in its annual budgets, the CDA has been unsuccessful in obtaining possession of the promised plots from the DHA for the past 14 years.

In a surprising turn of events, the FIA has requested the CDA to provide records of the 2007 agreement. A letter issued by a deputy director of the FIA on March 10, 2023, addressed to the CDA chairman, outlined the agency’s inquiry and requested the complete file, including notations related to the agreement, its present legal status, the current status of the possession of 2,400 kanals as specified in the agreement, and the CDA’s stance on any state land in possession of Emar, a private developer.

Previous discussions between the CDA and the DHA regarding the delayed handover of plots have not resulted in substantial progress, citing unknown reasons.

To address the matter, the CDA formed a committee in June of last year, which visited the DHA and prepared a report. During the visit, representatives of a private company, acting on behalf of the DHA, were present while no official from the DHA attended.

According to the report compiled by CDA officials, the company representatives discussed three potential sites where plots could be allocated to the CDA.

These sites included village Humak, which was found to be already owned by the CDA in the vicinity of Model Town, Sihala, where the land was unoccupied and under cultivation by locals, and Niazian Dadocha, located adjacent to the Dodocha Dam site.

The CDA’s budget documents for 2019-20 highlighted the need for concrete steps to be taken to acquire the promised plots from the DHA as per the agreement.

A senior CDA officer confirmed that the agency would provide the FIA with all the requested details and would also address the issue with the DHA to resolve the long-standing matter of pending plots.

The FIA’s investigation aims to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the agreement signed between the CDA and DHA in 2007 and determine the reasons behind the delayed handover of plots, bringing attention to the need for resolution and accountability in the matter.