The Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works has raised concerns over the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Courts operating in the Federal Lodge, Wafaqi Colony, Lahore, without paying rent since March 2021. The arrears have now reached Rs63.378 million.
As per reports, the committee, chaired by Senator Nasir Mehmood, has given a one-week deadline for the payment, warning that the courts will be required to vacate the premises if they fail to comply.Â
The committee also highlighted long-standing irregularities, unpaid rents, and stalled housing projects, issuing strict deadlines for compliance and accountability.
The Housing Ministry reported that repeated requests for payment and vacating the premises, made through memoranda dated May 14, June 24, and July 1, 2025, have gone unanswered by the Ministry of Law and Justice. During a July 9 meeting, the Law Ministry requested that the rent be waived and the property title transferred permanently, but the Housing Ministry reiterated its demand for immediate payment.
The committee also raised concerns over the Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation’s (PHAF) occupation of office space in the Shaheed-e-Millat Secretariat without a legal agreement for the past 26 years. The PHAF has been given two weeks to formalize the agreement and start paying rent.
Senator Humayun Mohmand’s query on the Lifestyle Residency project was discussed, with delays attributed to the weak financial position of the joint venture partner, disputes between Progressive and Granite, and the illness and death of the contractor in December 2022. Two attempts to restart the project through fresh tenders have failed, and the matter has been deferred pending the final audit report.
In response to a petition to create a BS-19 director post in the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA), officials stated that no new posts would be created, with the focus remaining on optimizing existing structures.
The FIA briefed the committee on corruption cases in the housing sector, reporting 316 inquiries and 22 cases against the Ministry of Housing & Works and its attached departments over the past decade. Among these, 216 inquiries were closed, 80 are under investigation, and 18 FIRs have been challaned.
