Huge irregularities made in New Islamabad Airport, PAC panel told

Islamabad

The sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee was Wednesday informed that delay in the construction of New Benazir Bhutto Islamabad International Airport had caused billions of rupees losses to the stare kitty.

Chaired by Sardar Ashiq Gopang, the committee examined the audit paras related to the Aviation Division with particular reference to the New Benazir Bhutto Islamabad Airport for the year 2013-14.

Audit officials told the committee that out of six audit paras, five cases were with the arbitration court and requested that 10 days be recommended for hearing in a month in the arbitration court as both the parties were making payments.

Secretary Aviation Division Irfan Elahi told the committee that he had written a letter to the arbitration court for an early hearing of cases.

He said four proceedings of the arbitration court had been held and the fifth was scheduled to be held on September 26 but it was not held as the lawyer had proceed to the US with his family and the date was fixed with the mutual consultation of both the parties.

Ashiq Gopang said if the lawyer was not available then the services of another lawyer could be availed. When the committee inquired about the fees of lawyer, Secretary Aviation told the committee that in every case Rs1 million fees was given to the lawyer for one case.

Examining irregularities in Benazir Bhutto Islamabad Airport, audit officials told the committee that three inquiries were conducted and the FIA conducted the inquiry on the directives of the Supreme Court but instead of it the government conducted the inquiry through the private persons.

The audit officials told the committee that the FIA had declared this issue as a criminal act. Secretary Aviation Division told the committee that the inquiry was conducted through Shamsul Mulk Commission.

The committee members remarked that criminal lacunas were kept in the contract agreement for the Islamabad airport and criminal negligence was made in its construction. The members further remarked that some politicians and land mafia were involved in grabbing land near the airport and now they were constructing housing colonies.

The committee was told that the FIA in its investigation report had mentioned that engineers were not hired but a consultant and a homeopathic doctor as material engineer. The committee was told that due to delay in completion of the project, the additional cost increased to Rs19.69 billion and due to delay in civil works additional irregularities of Rs2 billion had been deducted.