Senate moves to stop CDA from selling NARC land

ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers across the aisle in the Senate Tuesday fiercely opposed the CDA’s proposed conversion of 1400-acre land into commercial and residential plots, and with consensus the issue was referred to the House standing panel for perusal.
National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) has existed on this land since 1984. Some senators saw in the proposal of CDA summary a deep conspiracy to sabotage Pakistan’s largest agriculture research centre and hand over piece of the land to private developers on their own terms.
Majority of senators wanted investigation as to who had initiated this move and called for punishment to him. Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani said he felt proud having watched senators from across the divide and the minister of state rising above party lines to safeguard and defend a national asset. “The debate has made this parliament proud,” he remarked.
He referred the matter to the House standing committee on national food and research, which already had it on its agenda of the meeting, fixed for August 13. The committee would report back to the House in a month from the date of its first meeting.
Without limiting the scope of its working, Rabbani said some questions the committee would take up are: what are the terms and conditions of the lease agreement of CDA with NARC; have these been violated and to what extent was its effect; should CDA take over the leased land and use it for commercial residential purposes; what are the terms of agreement of CDA with the private developers as per its summary and lastly what was the status of the summary now?
Pakistan Muslim League-Q Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed had moved an adjournment motion in the House last month on the matter and it was admitted for discussion afterwards. Taking part in the discussion, Pakistan People’s Party Senator Farhatullah Babar revealed while referring to a copy of the summary, moved to the Prime Minister by the CDA chairman, that playing smart, he wrote to the Cabinet Secretary that on the basis of an initial decision made by Prime Minister, he was sending a summary to him for its presentation before the competent authority.
“The Prime Minister is an innocent person, who has been taken for a ride in a way that is unprecedented in history,” Babar said and asked the Minister of State Sheikh Aftab Ahmad to convey this to the Prime Minister not to approve the CDA summary on 1400-acre NARC land.
The PPP legislator cautioned that when the dust would settle regarding the proposal and Prime Minister would no more be in coveted office, this matter could become a snare for him.
He said being a veteran bureaucrat, the CDA head knew well that if he got away with the matter today, he would be caught tomorrow; therefore, he prepared a summary in a manner to save his own skin. But he made a mistake in para nine of the summary, where he wrote that as per the initial decision by the Prime Minister, a summary was being sent for the competent authority’s consideration, whereas the Prime Minister was totally unaware of it.
Earlier, in his speech, Babar challenged the minister and the government to take action against a person, who was behind the move, as he was going to disclose his identity with utmost responsibility.
Babar rejected the CDA argument that a research institute should not be in the federal capital, as there were such institutes already working even in the regional countries capitals, including India and Bangladesh.
The mover, Senator Mushahid wondered how come CDA all of a sudden moved a summary on March 31, 2015 to the Prime Minister for undermining the national asset (NARC), which had massively contributed in agriculture production, and to make plots of 1400-acre land, as it faced financial crisis.
Mushahid pointed out that CDA moved the summary in disregard to the rules for making commercial and residential plots on the land, where NARC was located. It was in a zone, specified under the Master Plan only for research and educational institutions, he noted.
He also questioned how could a government department push for handing over a government-owned land to a private developer and appoint of a private chief executive, adding CDA itself failed to develop the Park Enclave since 2011.
Mushahid said NARC was a national asset, as it contributed to agriculture’s development, which had a share of 25 percent of the GDP. He counted a number of achievements of NARC over the years and said this centre was directly linked to food security.
Mushahid wanted to know what exactly were the priorities of the parliament, the government and parliamentarians with regards to insatiable greed for plots and said this move was not for the poor but for the rich and influential, who had no regard even for the Supreme Court orders.
PPP’s Saeed Ghani said that if financial position of CDA was so poor that it wanted to dump NARC for billions, then why it shared funding of metro bus project by half and would also share subsidy to keep the bus service running. He added how would CDA repair roads, damaged or destroyed by the metro project. He warned any move to wind up NARC would have direct bearing on agriculture sector, which provided labour to 45 per cent of the employed.
He contended that it must also be seen whether those at the helms of CDA were capable of running such a huge organisation. “Let CDA start working and stop plotting,” remarked Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi.
PML-Q’s Saeedul Hasan Mandokhail also opposed the proposed move. He alleged that the contract of plantation along Metro track, which was not more than Rs20 million, was given to a brother of a federal minister and the amount involved in it was Rs280 million.
“With thinking of a property dealer, this move was initiated,” charged Jamaat-e-Islami’s Sirajul Haq and asked did the nation desperately needed research centres or housing schemes in the federal capital.
Minister Aftab also supported the senators and said it would be improper to plot a piece of land where NARC was located but insisted the centre should also be made accountable with regards to its performance and this demand was supported by two other senators as well.
Replying to a calling attention notice by PPP Senator Sehar Kamran, Minister Incharge Khurram Dastagir said that Kashmir issue tops the list of outstanding issues with India, which needed to be resolved as per the aspirations of Kashmiris.
During his meeting with Indian Premier Modi, he said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif articulated his vision of peace and development and the joint statement issued after their meeting recognized the need for both nations to ensure peace for development and progress and that all the outstanding issues be resolved through structured talks process.
In her notice, Senator Sehar had alleged that the issue of Kashmir and Indian covert activities in Pakistan were not mentioned in the joint statement after the two prime ministers meeting. She alleged the government was following a policy of India appeasement for promotion of the rulers’ own interests.
The House adopted four bills with consensus, which Commerce Minister Khurram Dastagir termed as the overhaul of the trade and commerce framework after 25 years, which would safeguard Pakistan’s trade and industry interests. He greeted the parliament and the Prime Minister on this.
The bills are: The Safeguard Measures (Amendment) Bill, 2015, The Countervailing Duties Bill, 2015, Anti-Dumping Duties Bill, 2015 and The National Tariff Commission Bill, 2105.