Senate Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs chairman Faisal Vawda on Tuesday said the committee’s intervention had prevented a controversial land sale at Karachi’s Port Qasim, saving the country Rs60 billion.
Vawda passed these remarks in the committee meeting that reviewed issues related to the management of maritime assets, particularly the sale of 500 acres of land at Port Qasim, according to a statement from the Senate Secretariat.
He had raised the issue in the previous committee meeting held last month.
“The meeting uncovered significant irregularities and led to the cancellation of the sale, ultimately saving the nation an estimated Rs60 billion,” today’s statement read.
As per the details, Senator Vawda expressed his gratitude for the swift action taken by the committee, stating, “Had we [committee] not intervened and exposed the corruption, the country would have lost Rs60 billion”.
“Our collective action ensured that the fraudulent sale was cancelled within 72 hours of our recommendations,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.
The committee delved into the sale of 500 acres of land at Port Qasim, which was reportedly sold for a mere 2% advance, amounting to a fraction of its actual value.
Senator Vawda questioned the legitimacy of the transaction.
“Only 2% was taken after selling land worth Rs60 billion. If the transaction was legitimate, why was it reversed within 72 hours?”
According to the Senate statement, the land was originally allotted for industrial use in 2006, and the committee heard from officials that an out-of-court settlement had been pursued in the said matter.
“However, Vawda raised doubts, questioning why the land was sold for just 10% of its actual value and why the board did not take action sooner.
“Who authoriaed the Port Qasim Board to sell land worth Rs60 billion for just Rs5 billion? This goes beyond their scope and authority,” Vawda remarked.
He further outlined three options for dealing with the cases of mismanagement and corruption.
“Surrender, admit the corruption, or fight against it.”
Vawda emphasised the importance of holding accountable those responsible for the financial loss to the country.
Meanwhile, Senator Danesh Kumar raised concerns about the lack of a permanent chairman for both the Karachi and Gwadar ports, stressing the need for stable leadership in the maritime sector.
“If the acting chairmanship is to continue, then the permanent chairman should be removed. The importance of proper leadership cannot be overstated,” Vawda remarked.
The committee also questioned the role of the Port Qasim Board in the controversial land sale.
According to the statement, Port Qasim officials had claimed that the matter had been handled appropriately and that the board had acted within its rights.
However, Senator Vawda challenged this assertion, saying, “Port Qasim not only sold the land maliciously but also changed the location of the Balkhnum Razi project.”
He claimed that the land was sold at an extraordinarily low price, noting that
“a foreign company, which was not truly foreign but local and had a questionable track record, was involved in the deal”.
“The board’s actions cannot be defended. Even military boards, dictators, or Chief Justices cannot get away with such misdeeds,” the senator maintained.
The committee was also briefed on the current state of Port Qasim’s land holdings.
Port Qasim owns approximately 14,000 acres of land, with 9,574 acres leased out. In addition, the authority purchased 1,000 acres of land and is awaiting possession of 1,250 acres from the Sindh government.
Senator Vawda further called for inclusion of technocrats and businessmen from the private sector in the port’s management board to ensure efficiency and transparency.
