The Pakistan Air Force management and its joint venture partner, Ch Tanveer Builder of the Maxim Group, have agreed to refund the claims of 6,000 allottees of the Fazaia Housing schemes, amounting to Rs16 billion with immediate effect.
The announcement came after the allottees, including the general public and armed forces personnel, were cheated by the PAF management and its partner, who illegally collected more than Rs16 billion from them, according to documents.
The case had already been on the radar of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The country’s premier graft buster had taken over an amount of Rs13.5 billion by freezing the joint venture account, one of the documents suggested.
It said that both the PAF and the Maxim would “pay Rs3 billion as the remaining liability of accused to NAB for 100% refund to the affectees”, adding that “assets worth Rs6 billion in the shape of land and machinery/assets at the site will remain in NAB custody as collateral against liability of Rs3 billion”.
The Fazaia Housing Scheme, according to a report, was a plan to build 8,400 residential units for the families of the martyrs. However, contrary to the purpose of the housing scheme, only 30 residential units were allotted to the families of the martyrs.
Also the scheme, in Deh Allah Phihai, Taluka Shah Mureed, Deh Taiser, Scheme 45, was not approved by the authorities concerned and all the constructions there were carried out illegally. The layout plan was also not submitted for town planning point of view in the Malir Development Authority.
As a result, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) issued a show-cause notice to the relevant PAF official, regarding the illegal constriction of bungalows and flats and directed for stopping all sorts of construction and sale and booking activities immediately.
According to the law, the owner/builder of the project has to submit proposed building plan along with the relevant ownership/title documents. A no-objection certificate (NOC) is also required from utility agencies, which the PAF had not obtained.