LAHORE: ‘Corruption’ has been the buzzword during the current PTI regime. There is talk of accountability and of nailing the big fishes and the smaller ones to rid the country of menace such as corruption, bribery, nepotism, loot and plunder that have brought the country on verge of collapse and bankruptcy.

However, what’s been happening right under the nose of the governments for decades tends to escape the vigilant eye of watchdog institutions like the FIA, NAB, Anti-Corruption department and so many other.

Hence, the alleged connivance and mismanagement by the officials of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) who have been guilty of corruption worth irregularities of billions and billions of rupees and have illegally allotted or sold agricultural land spanning hundreds of thousands of acres besides unlimited fraud in residential and commercial properties across the country, have gone unnoticed for several decades.

However, after the recently concluded audit of the ETPB, conducted on the orders of Supreme Court of Pakistan, the gross irregularities and frauds unearthed have proved to be absolute eye-openers for the government as well as for the authorities.

Undoubtedly, ETPB is the one of the richest, most valuable departments of the country as far as its assets are concerned. It has under its purview, more than 100,000 acres of agriculture land and around 50,000 residential and commercial units in the country. But alleged

bad governance and mismanagement has constantly been leading to illegal occupation and sale of ETPB assets by private and government individuals and entities. The number of its assets, therefore, is shrinking rapidly which is a matter of grave concern indeed.

The recently conducted audit, a report of which is exclusively available with Bol news, has revealed that complete and authentic record of all evacuee trust properties was not maintained properly and the master file of properties was last updated as far back as in 2005.

Similarly, there is no system in place at the ETPB with regards to vigilance, monitoring, periodic inspections and verification of the properties. Outstanding rent, lease money runs into billions of rupees owed to the Board by the tenants of commercial, residential and agricultural land besides open land but these properties were neither sealed nor punitive action taken against the defaulters. Furthermore, the audit revealed that a large number of cases were pending in the Districts Civil Courts, High Courts, Apex Courts but persuasion of the cases at the departmental level was negligible.

Illegal sale of land on 75 Ravi Road, Lahore

ETPB owned a piece of land measuring 15 kanals 6 marlas which was sold to M/s Pervez Textile Mills Ltd. Lahore in 2004 without the approval of the federal government and ETP Board. The sale amounted to Rs 36.715 million.

According to the audit, Manzoor Ellahi, Managing Director, Pervez Textile Mills Ltd, Lahore vide letter dated 12.07.1987 made a request to Deputy Administrator ETP Lahore for land measuring 14 kanals 5 marlas – which was under their possession on lease – to be transferred to the Mills.

Mehfooz Khan, Deputy Administrator, Lahore reported on 09.10.1984 that M/s Pervez Textile Mills Ltd, Lahore had constructed a residential colony comprising 31 units on its occupied land. Secretary, ETPB on 25.11.1998 conveyed determination of price of 15 kanals, 15 marlas (@ Rs. 240,000 per marla for 4 kanal, 18 marlas and @ Rs.60, 000 per marla for remaining areas which added up to a total price of Rs.36, 715,740. The deal was approved by the then Chairman ETPB, Lt. Gen (retd) Javed Nasir.

Subsequently, the sale deed was executed on 31.07.2004 between ETPB and Ch. Manzoor Ellahi  (Pervez Textile Mills) for a total amount of Rs.36, 715,740 and the trust land was sold without any recommendations by the ETP Board and without any prior approval of the federal government.

Illegal sale of land at Mauza Achintgarh Awa Budha, Shalimar Link Road, Lahore

A lease deed for land measuring 29 kanals, 19 marlas situated at Mouza Achint Garh (Awa Budhu), Shalimar Link Road Lahore was signed between Chairman ETPB and Chaudhry Pervez Elahi (tenant) on 02.04.1979 for 30 years, commencing 04.11.1961 and renewable for 30 years. In 1992, the Secretary of Ministry of Religious Affairs approved the disposal of the trust land through a public auction with a reserve price of Rs.70, 000 per marla, with right of first refusal to the present occupant as approved by the Board.

Former Chairman ETPB Lt Gen (retd) Javed Nasir proposed a rate of Rs.80, 000 per marla for the front area and Rs.70, 000 for the back portion. The Board in its meeting held on December 7, 1998 decided that the proposed land under occupation of M/s Modern Floor and General Mills Lahore, recommended for sale @ Rs.80,000 per marla and rest @ Rs.70,000 per marla for total consideration of Rs. 42,074,535, after approval from the federal government.

The audit further revealed that during scrutiny of the above mentioned deals, several irregularities were committed by the management of ETPB. Secretary, Ministry of Minorities Affairs was not competent to accord such approval and only the Federal Cabinet was authorized to do it. Subsequent to the Ministry letter dated 10.02.1992, the ETPB in its meeting dated 07.12.1998 asked for obtaining approval of the federal government. Further, as approved by the Ministry, the land could not be sold out through open auction and therefore, reference was required to be made to the Ministry for obtaining approval of the federal government to sell the land directly to M/s Modern Floor and General Mills Lahore. However, this was not done. “The sale of land is in violation of the Act, without obtaining prior approval of the Federal Government i.e Federal Cabinet.” The audit further observed that instead of commercial, residential rates were applied for selling 29 kanals 19 marlas to M/s. Modern Floor and General Mills Lahore.

Construction of 15 Illegal ETPB employees’ housing societies on evacuee trust land

It has also been revealed during the recent audit that the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Lahore has established as many as fifteen (15) housing societies on the evacuee trust property land for its employees.

The audit showed that the evacuee trust property is under the federal government, as per section 6 of ETPB Act, 1975, and the trustee had no authority to establish the housing authorities for Board employees as it was a breach of trust and against the intended purpose provided in the Act. These illegal housing societies have caused a loss of Rs five billion to ETPB. The total price of land received in lieu of the land, legal structure of management of housing societies, list of their members, executive committees, management was neither available in the record nor provided by the management. Files record of the societies was not provided at any stage.  The audit observed that an area of 62 acres, 3 kanals, 15 marlas land was allocated to 10 societies whereas the area for remaining five societies (S. No.1, 2, 4, 5, 6,) was not mentioned in the list.

According to the audit report, in seven cases (S. No. 1-7) it was mentioned that the recommendations of the Board could be traced but in the remaining cases, it was indicated that the Board approved the cases but in support of their claim, the copies of Board recommendations were not provided.

“Copies of Ministry of Religious Affairs and Minorities Affairs letter No.216/84-ETP(P-ii)/Vol-II dated 02.02.2000 revealed that in the housing society 60% plots would be meant for employees of ETPB and 40% for the federal government servants in the Ministry (Minority Affairs wing) with minimum service / stay in ETPB/Ministry.”

The management failed to provide the file record and other related data of employees to whom plots were sold. The Ministry’s letter of December 08, 2009 showed that the proposal was agreed but the Ministry’s letter No.F.9(33) 2009-P-II dated 30-12-2009 states that the Board was advised to fulfill the further requirement for formal approval of the proposed scheme by the Federal Government. “The date shown in the ETPB’s letter 04.12.2009 was tempered.”

ETPB land under illegal occupation of KDA

The ETPB owned an ETP agricultural land at Deh Khari, Tappo Manghopir, Karachi measuring 43 acres. The Karachi Development Authority (KDA) illegally occupied the land in 1962 without payment of compensation. The market value assessed by the Revenue Department of Sindh @ Rs.100 per sq. yards in 1962 was Rs.21,010,500/-. The DC rates of land for the area were not provided by the management. However, by applying a 10% annual increase the present value of land comes to Rs. 5,819.905 million in 2021.

Unjustified allotment of land to Aga Khan Hospital free of cost

The Ministry of Religious and Minority Affairs vide letter 5th December, 1982 confirmed that land measuring 5.32 acre in Karachi was allocated to the Agha Khan Hospital free of cost vide letter dated 14.09.1966. The audit showed that Agha Khan Hospital is charging the highest rates of their services from the general public for their medical services. Furthermore, the ETPO, Karachi vide letter dated 25.05.2009 requested the Aga Khan hospital to provide the details of charitable works/activities executed, but no response has yet been received.The remarks by audit team said when the hospital is working as a profit earning entity, then there was no justification for allotment of costly land of billions of rupees to it free of cost.

It is Pakistan’s land that the the ETBP officials have been allotting illegally, left right and center. This foul practice must be stopped and the land allotted illegaly of at throw away price needs to retrieved at once. Needless to say the culprits responsible for the misdeeds must be penalised. When and how it will be done is anybody’s guess though the audit carried out by the Superme Court has set the accountability ball rolling.

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