Illegal allotment of plots: KP govt fails to submit report to SC within four weeks

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government failed to comply with the Supreme Court directives to submit a report on illegal allotment of plots in KP within four weeks.

The apex court ordered the KP chief secretary on 11th February, 2020 to constitute a high-powered committee to probe the illegal allotments to the employees of PDA, PUDB and LLAs.

Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed directed KP chief secretary to pinpoint irregularities, fix responsibility and submit its report. Instead of compliance and appropriate action against the officers involved in such illegalities, the KP government has not yet completed its report. Local Government Secretary Shakil Ahmed told this correspondent that we will finalise the report after complete and proper scrutiny and court would be apprised of it accordingly. This will be done with due diligence without fear or favour. He said the approval of the committee got delayed due to corona pandemic but now it was done and report would be submitted by next week.

The KP government constituted a probe committee on 14th April, 2020 after a delay of at least two months. According to a letter of Local Government, Election and Rural Development Department, a copy of which is available with this scribe, stated that in pursuance of Supreme Court of Pakistan dated 19-2-2020 in a Civil Appeal No 1953 of 2019, the competent has pleased to constitute the following committee along with TORs to examine the matter of allotment to the employees of PDA, PUDB and LLAs and give its finding and recommendation within two weeks.

A five-member committee headed by the Additional Chief Secretary has been constituted while the secretaries of Local Government, Law, administration and Special Secretary Establishment would be its members. According to terms of references, committee will examine the allotments and the exercise of powers used to undertake such allotments. It will also undertake laws and regulations under which such allotments were made and the legislative/statutory backing for such allotments in different housing schemes in favour of employees of PDA, PUDB and LAAS. The committee was further directed to pinpoint all illegalities, violation of laws, rules and regulation etc and fix responsibility for such illegal and un-lawful actions within two weeks.

It is pertinent to mention that Supreme Court vide its judgment on an appeal (C.A No. 1953 of 2019) of PDA ex-director general on 11th February, 2020 directed the KP chief secretary to constitute a committee consisting of senior officers to examine the allotments to the employees of the Peshawar Development Authority, Provincial Urban Development Board (PUDB) and Local Area Authorities (LAAs). The Supreme Court in Para 18 of the judgment instructed the KP government to investigate and submit report within four weeks.

The Supreme Court order states,

“We, therefore, direct the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary to constitute a high-powered committee consisting of senior officers to examine the allotments, the exercise of powers used to undertake such allotments, the laws and regulations under which such allotments were made and the legislative statutory backing or lack thereof that resulted in allotment of plots in different housing schemes in favour of employees of PDA, PUDB and LAAs. The committee shall also pinpoint all illegalities, violation of laws, violation of rules and regulations etc. and fix responsibility for such illegal and unlawful actions.

The chief secretary shall take appropriate action in accordance with law against such officers/officials who have been involved in such illegalities. The report of the committee shall be prepared within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of copy of this judgment and such report shall be submitted with the registrar of this court for our perusal in chambers".