Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Wednesday that a government inquiry had found former Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman Kamran Lashari and other officials loosened regulations to allow unlawful construction at the One Constitution Avenue project in Islamabad. He said the move had cost the national treasury money.
Speaking at a press conference alongside Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, Iqbal said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had set up a joint investigation committee. The committee’s report went before the federal cabinet the same day and was approved.
Findings of the joint inquiry into the project
According to Iqbal, the report found that rules were relaxed to benefit the developer company. This allowed building in breach of the required standards and caused financial losses for the state. The inquiry also concluded that the name “One Constitution” had been obtained through forgery, and it recommended a change.
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Re-auction, refunds and action against officials
The report recommended re-auctioning the project through a transparent process, Iqbal said. He added that action had also been proposed against those found to be involved in the irregularities.
Iqbal said the government would make sure people who had put their life savings into the project were repaid. “The people who invested in One Constitution will be refunded,” he said, referring to the report’s recommendations on investor money.
Proposed CDA overhaul and NAB referral
The inquiry also called for a broad overhaul of the CDA. One proposal is a policy requiring officers to rotate every two years, aimed at improving accountability and preventing entrenched interests. Iqbal said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had been asked to investigate the officials involved and act in line with the law.
Iqbal did not provide details of the proposed re-auction, the mechanism for refunding investors, or the officials who would face action. The high-rise residential and commercial project near Constitution Avenue has been caught in legal and regulatory disputes over alleged violations of building rules and outstanding obligations.
