Staff Reporter Islamabad
Federal Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Dr Farogh Naseem had constituted a committee of ministers with co-opted members to formulate a strategy to dispose of abandoned properties administered by the government.
The Federal Cabinet had directed to formulate a strategy to dispose of, in consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Law and Justice, abandoned properties declared as such pursuant to the Abandoned Properties (Management) Act, 1975 (XX of 1975).
The Prime Minister had approved a Committee of Ministers, with co-opted members, constituted under the Minister for Law and Justice to examine the whole matter from all legal and practical aspects and tender its recommendations to the Federal Cabinet.
The Minister for Law and Justice had constituted Committee of Ministers, with co-opted members, namely Minister for Law and Justice Dr. Muhammad Farogh Naseem as chairman and members include Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood, Minister for Railways Muhammad Azam Swati, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad and Minister for Privatization Mohammed Mian Soomro while co-opt members include MNAs Ms. Maleeka Ali Bukhari, Ms. Kishwar Zehra, Usama Qadri, Najeeb Haroon, Abdul Malik Ghauri, (Retired Federal Secretary) and Ashraf Zubair Siddiqui, PSP, Addl. Director General FIA.
The Terms of Reference of the Committee would be to ascertain and examine the complete record of the abandoned properties declared as such on and after the 16th December, 1971 wherever situated in Pakistan and to examine the process of disposing of abandoned properties under the Abandoned Properties (Management) Act, 1975.
It would examine the circumstances and reasons for disposing of the abandoned properties in Pakistan and would submit report with regard to money received through disposal of properties and expenditures ancillary thereto.
The committee would also determine the nature, background and causes of lapses of the concerned authorities, if any; and would submit consequential recommendations.
