• The federal minister blamed for criminal negligence.
• Land worth millions were sold cheaply.
• Vawda claims evidence FIA, NAB could not collect.

The Senate Committee of Maritime President Senator Faisal Vawda has found an RS60 billion corruption scandal that accuses a federal minister of “criminal negligence”.

Appear on Pakinomist News’ The “Capital Talk” program revealed the VAWDA details of the country fraud with documentary evidence. He also held Minister of Maritime Affairs Qaisar Sheikh responsible for the negligence.

He said within 72 hours that the land agreement worth RS60 billion was canceled. “I asked for one thing, but they didn’t answer me and went on to scrape the deal in 72 hours,” he said.

The senator said during this period that they also published a denial in some unknown newspapers. Land worth millions were sold for RS800,000 to RS1 million per year. Acre.

He said he had the documents that the federal Investigation Agency FIA, Anti-Corruption Department and National Accountability Bureau could not collect in five years.

“They were approaching foreign investors. When we were confronted, we were told that foreigners had run away. Since 2018, there were 14,000 hectares left only to 135 hectares,” he said.

In 2018, Senator Vawda said Ali Zaidi was also passed by the law while handing over to the cabinet. “Minister of shipping Qaisar Sheikh said it was completed in July 2024. There is also criminal negligence of shipping minister Qaisar Sheikh,” he said.

Vawda said the entire government is responsible. “There are also documents related to illegal appointments in the Maritime Ministry,” he said.

“If I have proof of corruption, why haven’t the others? The whole system is its recipient. I am writing a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. I will place all evidence in front of him.”

GOVT -SEMBER

Meanwhile, the federal minister of maritime affairs Sheikh said on the same program that the Treasury, due to senator Vawda, was rescued from a loss of RS60 billion.

“Action will be taken against those responsible,” he said. The minister said the board is independent and it makes its own decisions. “The board is not related to the ministry.

The problem dates back to 2005, when 1,500 hectares were awarded. This party paid only 2%. When the question of payment of the remaining amount was raised, they turned to court, ”he said.

Sheikh said an attempt was made to resolve the case outside the court this year. “Money was made by using the old price and interested in it,” he said.

The federal minister said Vawda’s point is valid that the decision was made for RS7.7 million. “The file was sent to Nab within two months,” he said.

The minister said “When this decision arrived in the committee, I even went to Port Qasim. It was not canceled a day ago, it was discussed first. The board had made an offer, but the party did not make the payment.”

The minister said he could not attend the meeting of the standing committee. “The decision was definitely made when it was pointed out that this decision was wrong, the board withdrew the decision,” he said.

‘Wrongdoing’

Before performing on the show, the Senate Committee of Maritime’s President expressed its gratitude for the rapid action taken by the committee to reveal irregularities in the controversial sale of 500 hectares of land at Port Qasim, which led to its cancellation, eventually saving the nation from the loss of estimated RS60 billion.

“If we had not grabbed and exposed the corruption, the country would have lost RS60 billion.

The committee reviewed critical questions related to the management of maritime assets, especially the controversial sale of 500 hectares of land at Port Qasim.

The committee dived into the sale of 500 hectares of land at Port Qasim, which was reportedly sold for only 2% advance, corresponding to a fraction of its actual value, estimated at RS60 billion.

Vawda questioned the legitimacy of the transaction and said, “Only 2% were taken after selling land worth the RS60 billion. If the transaction was legitimate, why was it turned within 72 hours?”

The country was initially awarded for industrial use in 2006, and the committee heard from officials that a settlement had been pursued outside the court.

However, Senator Vawda raised doubts: “Who authorized the Port Qasim board to sell land worth RS60 billion for only RS5 billion? This goes beyond their reach and authority.”

The committee also questioned the role of the Port Qasim board in the controversial land sale. Port Qasim officials claimed that the case was handled correctly and that the board had acted within its rights.

Vawda pointed out that the land was sold at an extraordinarily low price, noting that a foreign company, which was not really foreign but locally and had a questionable track record, was involved in the deal.

He further emphasized: “The actions of the board cannot be defended. Even military boards, dictators or chief courts cannot get away with such wrongdoing.”

The committee was also informed of the current state of Port Qasim’s soil. Port Qasim owns about 14,000 hectares of land with 9,574 hectares rented out.

In addition, the authority bought 1,000 hectares of land and waits for the possession of 1,250 hectares from the Sindh government. VAWDA called for the inclusion of technocrats and business people from the private sector in the port’s management committee to ensure efficiency and transparency.

In line with the results of the meeting, Senator VAWDA suggested several recommendations for immediate action, these included freezing events of payments in the acquisitions of land acquisition in Port Qasim, KPT, Gwadar Port and PNSC until further investigations are completed.