ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sought a report on the alleged illegal allocation of plots worth billions of rupees by the National Police Foundation (NPF) to senior police officials and private companies.
According to a letter issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the Prime Minister has requested a full report on the matter from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The letter sent to the ministry referred to a news article published in an English newspaper on January 1, 2025 about these awards.
“It has been desired that the Ministry of the Interior present a report in [sic] the matter to this office for consideration by the Prime Minister as soon as possible,” the letter said.
The Home Office subsequently wrote to the NPF requesting a report.
It is worth mentioning that previously the Standing Committee on Internal Affairs of the National Assembly requested information from the NPF on the allocation of plots to senior police officials and private companies.
However, surprisingly the committee removed the briefing from its agenda a couple of days before the scheduled meeting.
The NPF reportedly allotted commercial and residential land worth billions of rupees at throwaway prices.
According to sources, the foundation has leased a 20 kanal land in sector O-9 to a private limited company. The lease, granted for 99 years at an annual rental of just Rs 1 million, allows the lessee to rent or assign parts of the property for commercial activities without sharing revenue with the NPF.
In addition, the tenant retained the right to unilaterally terminate the agreement, a provision that sources have described as unusually favorable.
The NPF has reportedly sold a prime 14 kanal commercial land in Islamabad to a private company for Rs 1.08 billion.
The land could have been sold for Rs 17,000 crore if sold through open auction, they said.
The price of Rs 1.08 billion is in stark contrast to the recent auctions conducted by the CDA in which two smaller plots measuring 666.66 and 800 square yards on I-8 Markaz were sold for Rs 1.14 billion and Rs 1.46 billion. rupees, respectively.
A 533.33 sq yard plot on I-14 Markaz was auctioned for Rs 653 million.
A Blue Area plot measuring 2,666.66 square yards was sold for Rs 4.53 billion.
Sources further claimed that the NPF allotted seven residential plots in Islamabad’s exclusive Sector E-11 at significantly undervalued prices.
Each canal plot, worth around Rs 100 crore at current market price, was allotted for Rs 1.57 crore.
Among the beneficiaries were Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Inspector General (IG) Akhtar Hayat Khan, Punjab Police Inspector General (IG) Dr. Usman Anwar, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore Bilal Siddique Kamyana, NPF CEO Sabir Ahmed and others.
Sources revealed that some of these officials, including IG Punjab and CCPO Lahore, sold the plots at current market prices, earning high profits.
Published in Amanecer, January 9, 2025.
