PMIC report on Margalla Tower incident not made public out of political pressure

ISLAMABAD: The inquiry report of the Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission (PMIC) on Margalla Tower incident hasnot been made public even after six years.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman and an additional secretary of Cabinet Division on Monday told a sub-committee of Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet that despite writing to the PM’s Secretariat more than seven times they had failed to get the report or related information about the inquiry. Senator Shahid Hassan Bugti presided over the Senate committee meeting, which was attended by senators Fouzia Fakhurruzaman, Najma Hamid, Kalsoom Perveen and Senator Khatu Mall.

“We could not get the copy of the report or any piece of information about the inquiry despite writing to the PM’s Secretariat seven times on the demand of Senate and National Assembly,” said, Cabinet Division’s Additional Secretary Shahid Ullah Baig. He requested the committee chairman to take up the issue in Senate and at other appropriate forums so that the report could be made public. “The mystery could not be resolved as long as the report is concealed,” he said. Bugti said they should summon the commission chairman in next meeting.

Daily Times has learnt that the 1600-page report of the PMIC, which has purportedly fixed responsibility for the shocking deaths of 73 residents in the 2005 earthquake tragedy due to collapsing of Margalla Towers, was not made public on political grounds.

A case was registered against the Tower’s owners and CDA engineers and officers concerned. PMIC investigated the accused for their alleged role in approval of a faulty multi-storey residential complex, which had been constructed and subsequently extended against all principles of safe engineering.

PMIC’s former chairperson Farooq Ahmed had informed the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in a meeting that he was under pressure from some influential persons to change the contents of the report.

Kurri land scam: Meanwhile, the Senate committee directed the CDA chairman to take serious action against CDA’s former Director Land Wasim Shamshad and his associates, who were proved to be guilty of illegal allotment of around 4,000 plots in Kurri Road area.

“The level of the crime is serious, but their plan for the mega scam was foiled due to the timely action. Both the officials should be punished severely,” said Bugti.

The CDA chief said National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) were conducting inquiry of the case and they are waiting for their findings. Bugti said there was no need of further wait, as both the officials had already been proved to be guilty.