**Prime Minister Forms Inquiry Committee to Investigate Alleged Irregularities in Port Qasim Land Leasing**
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has established a three-member inquiry committee to probe alleged irregularities in the leasing of valuable land under the Port Qasim Authority (PQA). The decision comes in response to claims made by Senator Faisal Vawda, who alleged that the land was leased at significantly undervalued prices during the current government’s tenure.
According to an official notification from the Prime Minister’s Office, the land in question was designated for the development of a small and medium industrial park. The committee has been tasked with investigating potential financial misconduct in the leasing process.
The inquiry panel will be headed by the chairman of the Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission, who will serve as its convener. Other members include IB Director Sirajuddin Amjad and FIA Director Syed Shahid Hussain. The committee has been given specific responsibilities, including reviewing PQA’s legal strategy to cancel the lease and examining efforts to overturn a stay order against its revocation.
Additionally, the committee will investigate the factors that influenced the PQA Board’s decision to pursue an out-of-court settlement with the claimant. It will also scrutinize all legal opinions that supported this settlement. As part of its mandate, the panel will assess whether PQA reevaluated the land’s value before finalizing the settlement and whether market prices were considered in the decision-making process.
The committee will also explore why the out-of-court settlement offer was not withdrawn when the claimant rejected it. Furthermore, it will identify governance-related issues that may have caused delays in the process.
This inquiry aims to ensure transparency and accountability in the leasing of public land, addressing concerns raised about potential mismanagement and financial irregularities.
