The Aashiana Housing Scam first made headlines earlier this year when a highly successful bidder, Ch Latif and Sons, was not awarded the contract of Ashiana-e-Iqbal despite winning the bid. NAB, Pakistan’s accountability watchdog, began probing into the matter, and this opened up a Pandora box of corruption and secrets. 

It all began when NAB found out that officials of the Punjab government had cancelled the award of contract of the Ashiana-e-Iqbal Ch Latif and Sons, the rightful recipients, and instead, it was awarded to Lahore Casa Developers (JV). This act of the Punjab government resulted in a staggering loss of Rs193 million. 

Lahore Casa Developers (JV) is a proxy organisation controlled by Paragon City (Pvt) Limited, NAB officials revealed a statement drafted by the anti-graft body that revealed that  some high officials directed PLDC to provide consultancy services of the Ashiana-Iqbal project for Rs192 million, while the actual cost of the project was Rs35 million. 

As the NAB officials proceeded with their investigations, they began making various arrests, which included four officers and various other high profile professionals, including the former director general of LDA and the chief executive officer of Bismillah Engineering Company. This company is a C-4 organisation that is also a member of the joint venture with Lahore Casa Developers and the entire scam as they were ineligible for being awarded the contract. 

NAB has launched an investigation that has disrupted an illegal process of awarding contracts, and this investigation has scared various officials of the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC), and higher-ups of the Lahore Development Authority and Lahore Casa Developers. 

For those who don’t know, Lahore Casa Developers is considered a proxy of the Paragon City (Pvt) Limited. This transfer of contract has cost the national exchequer a dumbfounding loss of millions. NAB is also investigating a Rs14 billion contract given to a person despite being ineligible for it.  

With this investigation going on, we can hope that further disruptions and scam will be avoided in such housing societies in future and people will be given a fully secured, state-of-the-art and corruption free society in upcoming days.