Court seeks reasons for delay in inquiry of DHA Valley’s construction on dam site

[Salman]

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to explain the reasons for the delay in the inquiry into DHA Valley’s development on the area reserved for a dam, according to reports published in local newspapers recently.

The project was planned to be developed by Bahria Town (Pvt) Ltd on behalf of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA). However, in September 2010, Lt Colonel ® Mohammad Tariq Kamal submitted an application to NAB, alleging that the DHA Valley project was being developed on the site dedicated for Daducha Dam.

According to the reports, Lt Col ® Kamal told the court that Habib Rafique (Pvt) Ltd, Bahria Town (Pvt) Ltd and DHA entered into a joint venture to undertake projects such as DHA Valley, DHA Expressway, DHA Villas and DHA Phase II (Extension). He claimed that the development of the dam in question was important for the residents of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

He also claimed that DHA Valley was being developed on the area which had been allocated for the development of the dam by the Punjab Small Dam Agency.

The reports said the court expressed displeasure when it was told that Bahria Town and DHA were not cooperating properly with the investigators, and directed the officials concerned to contact Survey of Pakistan to confirm whether the site where DHA Valley was being developed had indeed been allocated for the construction of dam.

The court was told that Daducha Dam was planned to be built on Ling River, and Japan International Cooperation Agency had evaluated the project.

DHA Valley was planned to provide housing facilities to soldiers, families of martyrs and junior commissioned officers, but the project remains unfinished amid these controversies. A large number of people had invested in the project when it was launched, but have so far seen little work on the ground.