- The federal minister blamed criminal negligence.
- Land Worth Millions was sold at a lower cost.
- Vawda claims FIA evidence, Nab has not succeeded.
The senatorial committee of the maritime president, Senator Faisal Vawda, found a corruption scandal of 60 billion rupees, accusing a federal minister of “criminal negligence”.
Appear on PK Press Club News’ “Capital Talk” program, Vawda revealed the details of the land scam with documentary evidence. He also held the Minister of Maritime Affairs Qaisar Sheikh responsible for negligence.
He said that within 72 hours, the land agreement worth 60 billion rupees had been canceled. “I asked for one thing, but they didn’t respond and went ahead to resolve the agreement in 72 hours,” he said.
The senator said during this period, they also published a refusal in certain unknown newspapers. Lands worth millions have been sold for 800,000 rupees to 1 million rupees per acre.
He said he had the documents that the Federal Investigation Agency FIA, the anti-corruption service and the National Accountability Bureau could not collect in five years.
“They approached the costume of foreign investors. When they were confronted, we were told that foreigners had fled. Since 2018, there were 14,000 acres, which were left to 135 acres that,” he said.
In 2018, Senator Vawda said that Ali Zaidi was also adopted by the act while bypassing the cabinet. “The Minister of Delivery Qaisar Sheikh said it was concluded in July 2024. There is also criminal negligence of the Minister of Maritime Transport Sheikh,” he said.
Vawda said the whole government was responsible. “There are also documents related to illegal appointments to the Ministry of Maritime,” he said.
“If I have proofs of corruption, why do the others do not have it? The whole system is its beneficiary. I write a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. I will place all the proofs before him.”
Government response
Meanwhile, the Federal Minister of Maritime Affairs Sheikh said on the same program that, because of Senator Vawda, the Treasury had been saved from a loss of 60 billion rupees.
“Measures will be taken against those responsible,” he said. The Minister said the board of directors was independent and that he will make his own decisions. “The Council is not linked to the ministry.
The problem dates back to 2005 when 1,500 acres were assigned. This part paid only 2%. When the payment emission of the remaining amount was raised, they approached the court, “he said.
Sheikh said that an attempt had been made to resolve the case outside the court this year. “The money was earned by applying the old prize and taking interest in it,” he said.
The federal minister said the point of Vawda is valid that the decision had been made for 7.7 million rupees. “The file was sent to the NAB within two months,” he said.
The minister said: “” When this decision was revealed in the committee, I myself went to Port Qasim. He was not canceled one day ago, he was discussed first. The council had made an offer, but the party did not make the payment. “”
The minister said he could not attend the permanent committee meeting. “The decision was definitively made, when it was pointed out that this decision was wrong, the Council withdrew the decision,” he said.
“Méfaire magazines”
Before participating in the program, the senatorial committee on the maritime president expressed his gratitude for the rapid measures taken by the Committee to discover irregularities in the controversial sale of 500 acres of land in Port Qasim, which leads to cancellation, finally sparing the country of the loss of RS60 billion estimated.
“If we had not been intervened and exposed corruption, the country would have lost 60 billion rupees. Our collective action assured that the fraudulent sale had been canceled within 72 hours of our recommendations,” he said during the chairmanship of the Committee meeting.
The Committee examined critical issues related to the management of maritime assets, in particular the controversial sale of 500 acres of land in Port Qasim.
The committee plunged into the sale of 500 acres of land in Port Qasim, which would have been sold for an advance of 2%, which represents a fraction of its real value, estimated at 60 billion rupees.
Vawda questioned the legitimacy of the transaction, saying: “Only 2% were taken after having sold land of a value of 60 billion rupees. If the transaction was legitimate, why was it reversed within 72 hours?”
The land was initially allocated to industrial use in 2006, and the Committee heard that an outside regulations had been prosecuted.
However, Senator Vawda raised doubts: “who authorized the board of directors of Port Qasim to sell land worth 60 billion rupees for only 5 billion rupees? This goes beyond their scope and their authority.”
The Committee also questioned the role of the board of directors of Port Qasim in the sale of controversial land. Port Qasim officials said the case had been treated in an appropriate manner and that the Council had acted in its rights.
Vawda stressed that the land had been sold at an extraordinarily low price, noting that a foreign company, which was not really foreign but local and had a questionable assessment, was involved in the agreement.
He also pointed out: “Board’s actions cannot be defended. Even military councils, dictators or chief judges cannot run away with such misdeeds.”
The Committee was also informed of the current state of the land of Port Qasim. Port Qasim has around 14,000 acres of land, with 9,574 acres rented.
In addition, the authority bought 1,000 acres in land and awaits 1,250 acres to the Sindh government. VAWDA called for the inclusion of technocrats and businessmen from the private sector in the port management board to ensure efficiency and transparency.
In accordance with Reunion’s conclusions, Senator Vawda proposed several recommendations for immediate action, these included the gel of pending payments in the land acquisition agreements in Port Qasim, Kpt, Gwadar Port and PNSC until additional investigations are completed.
