Govt Forms Committee to Investigate Port Qasim Land Deal

The Prime Minister has constituted a three-member inquiry committee to investigate the Port Qasim land deal worth Rs. 60 billion. Senator Faisal Vawda recently revealed this alleged scam, stating that the land was allotted at a significantly lower price. In contrast, the 500 acres of land market value in Port Qasim exceeds Rs. 60 billion. According to a notification issued by the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the formation of the committee, the high-level committee will be headed by the Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission, Brigadier (Retd) Muzaffar Ali Ranjha. The other members include the Intelligence Bureau Director and FIA Director, Syed Shahid Hassan. The committee will evaluate the legal strategy of the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) to vacate the stay orders against the cancellation of the lease, which remained in effect for twelve years. It will also analyze the factors considered by the PQA Board in deciding to pursue an out-of-court settlement with the litigant, including any legal opinions that supported the settlement. The committee will investigate whether the PQA conducted a revaluation of the land cost before proceeding with the settlement and whether current market land values were factored into the decision. It will also determine why the out-of-court settlement offer was not immediately withdrawn when the litigant refused to accept it. Additionally, the committee will identify any procedural or governance issues that may have contributed to the delay. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs will provide secretarial support and notify the committee. The committee is required to submit its report within two (02) weeks for the Prime Minister’s consideration. Senator Faisal Vawda, Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs, had raised the issue of the alleged illegal allotment and sale of 500 acres of land in Port Qasim during a committee meeting. The committee had issued instructions to freeze all land leased by the ports. During the meeting, Faisal Vawda, referring to newspaper clippings, stated that the market value of 500 acres of land in Port Qasim exceeds Rs. 60 billion, but it was allegedly allotted at a much lower price.