PESHAWAR – Mega City Nowshera project, involving alleged advance payment of Rs3.75 billion, has taken another turn as National Accountability Bureau (NAB) inquiry continues alongside a fresh departmental investigation ordered by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Housing Department.
Senior journalist Irfan Khan raised series of serious questions over the project, including the payment of billions of rupees to a private firm, the status and ownership of the land reportedly earmarked for the mega project, and the circumstances under which the agreement was signed.
He said Housing Department has now formed formal investigation team to determine what progress the private company has made after receiving the massive advance payment. The team is expected to examine the current status of the land, development work carried out so far, and the actual progress of the Nowshera Mega City project.
The key issue surrounding the project is the reported payment of Rs3.75 billion in advance against approximately 16,000 kanals of land under a public-private partnership arrangement. Khan questioned why basic land-related verification was allegedly not completed before the agreement and payment were made.
Why, he asked, were the relevant patwari records, ownership documents and land records not thoroughly examined at the outset? And perhaps most importantly: Who authorised the Rs3.75 billion advance payment? Questions have also been raised over the role and knowledge of the provincial Housing Department’s senior leadership at the time the MoU was signed.
Another major aspect of the allegations concerns the actual status of the land. According to the claims cited by Khan, the proposed land is located near a river and may fall within a flood-prone area. He refered departmental sources as saying that when a local patwari was questioned during a meeting and asked to produce records, he reportedly stated that most of the 16,000-kanal land had no available ownership record and no corresponding entry in the revenue records.
The matter has become even more sensitive because the National Accountability Bureau is separately investigating the Nowshera Mega City project. NAB has issued call-up notices to Provincial Housing Minister Dr. Amjad, summoned him for questioning and sought relevant records and details. The anti-graft watchdog also sought information concerning the assets of 31 family members or relatives associated with Dr. Amjad. The claims, however, remain allegations and would require confirmation from official NAB records or statements from the individuals concerned.
The matter also landed at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, where the then Director General of NAB was reportedly summoned and questioned. NAB investigation is now believed to have reached an advanced stage, with the possibility that additional names could emerge as investigators complete their examination.
The timing of the departmental investigation has become a major talking point. With NAB already examining the matter, the Housing Department has now launched its own inquiry to determine what the private firm has actually accomplished after receiving the government’s money.
The controversy does not end with the land records. According to the information cited by journo, NESPAK was also awarded a contract relating to the project, and a report reportedly identified the proposed site as being located in a flood-prone area. The reported assessment has created another financial headache.
An additional Rs930 million to Rs950 million has reportedly been sought for development and construction of a protection wall to protect the proposed Mega City from flooding.
Nowshera Mega City project was said to be major development initiative, but the controversy surrounding the land, payment, ownership records, flood risk and development progress has now placed the project under intense scrutiny. At the heart of the controversy is a question that How could Rs3.75 billion be paid in advance for approximately 16,000 kanals of land without definitive verification of ownership, availability and development feasibility?
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