PAC directs cancelling PR land lease agreement with Karachi businessman

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday directed for cancelling the agreement of leasing the Railway land to Businessmen from Karachi Aqeel Karim Dhedi and also directed for blacklisting his company.

The PAC sought details of illegal occupation and encroachment on Railway land and also details of where and which land is occupied should be given to the committee. The PAC held its meeting with the chair of its Chairman Noor Alam Khan in which the audit paras related to Ministry of Railways for the year 2019-20 were examined.

The audit officials told the PAC that 10, 207sq yards of Railway land was leased to Aqeel Karim Dhedi (AKD) Ltd Securities for 99-years and an agreement was signed with Pakistan Railways (PR) and for 99 years in 2004 and defaulter of payments of lease rent for last 18 years. The audit officials told the committee that value of the land is more than Rs612.4 million and the annual lease of the land was fixed at Rs560,000 yearly.

The audit officials told the committee as per agreement the yearly rent of lease land was fixed at Rs560,000 per annum and this payment of lease was made in 2004 but the payment of rent of lease was made only in first year of lease agreement and no payment was made since till to date.

The Railways officials told the committee that the land was given to construct a hotel. The audit officials informed the committee that AKD Securities Limited did not pay any rent after 2014.

PAC Chairman Noor Alam expressed annoyance for not taking any action and asked the officials that it seems that the bureaucrats of Railways afraid of taking action against influential people.

The PAC directed to immediately cancel the lease and take over the possession of land as well as also recommended blacklisting AKD Securities. While the PAC sought details of illegal occupation and encroachment on Railway land and also details of where and which land is occupied should be given to the committee. It directed that no land should be given to anyone around the railway track.

In the meanwhile, PAC chairman expressed concern over the harassment of the business class by the Railway officers and remarked that there have been complaints of demanding share from the businessmen in Peshawar Circle.

The PAC directed the inquiry against the concerned officer of PR and remarked that the action could be taken on the basis of the inquiry. Meanwhile, IG Islamabad Police Akbar Nasir Khan appeared on the summons of PAC. Chairman PAC asked from IG Islamabad Police about the security of MNA Hostel and Parliament Lodges in the wake of terrorist threats in the country.

He also raised the issue of parking of the hotel in red zone and directed to remove the parking in front of hotel. The Committee also directed to compile data of regular visitors in red zone buildings.

The PAC directed not to close traffic signals for VIP movement. The PAC also directed IG Islamabad Police to conduct operations against baggers in the capital city fearing terrorists may involve in terrorist activity in guise of bagger. The committee directed the IG Islamabad Police immediate implementation of PAC instructions of taking action against street baggers in Islamabad, remove the parking in front of hotel and compile the data of daily visitor to the building in red zone.

The PAC referred the issue of non-receipt of tax from the trains’ management of trains which were out-source by the Pakistan railways to the finance secretary and asked the finance secretary to resolve the issue within a month. Secretary Railways said that PR will not collect tax from outsourced trains.

The audit officials said that the FBR froze the account of the Railways for non-payment of taxes and took Rs1.39 billion and kept with itself. The issue of expensive flour in the country also echoed in the PAC meeting as Chairman PAC Noor Alam Khan said that flour is becoming expensive in the country and he daily witnesses the people’s reaction on the expensive flour in the country. PAC chairman also directed the Railway authorities to listen to the concerns of the members of Parliament.