NPF Islamabad’s mega corruption scam, involving private TV channel director unearthed

ISLAMABAD: A new scandal regarding the auction of a multi-billion rupee commercial plot located at the National Police Foundation (NPF) in Islamabad’s E-11 sector has come to light.

According to the document available with Daily Ausaf, the sealed-bid auction method was adopted for the sale of a 10-12 Kanal (s) plot, which had an evaluation of Rs1.0204 billion. The commercial plot was the amalgamation of eight plots.

Sources within the NPF said that the sealed-bid auction was adopted to benefit a particular company — M/S SMB Services (Pvt) Ltd —by selling the plot to it at a very cheap price as compared to market rates.

The auction resulted in the loss of approximately Rs5 billion to the national exchequer.

According to the document, only two firms, M/S Convolair (Pvt) Ltd and M/S SMB Services (Pvt) Ltd submitted their birds which were opened on December 28, 2023.

Managing Director NPF in connivance with Shunaid Qureshi, a Director of an Islamabad-based prominent new outlet, adopted the sealed-bid auction which was in direct violation of the directions given by the “Committee of Administration” of NPF.

The investigation revealed that the eligibility criteria was changed to facilitate the bid winner SMB Services, which was run by four directors including Alina, Moomal Shunaid, and Shanzeh Shunaid.

Sources told Daily Ausaf that officers who opposed the decision of the sealed-bid auction were transferred from the National Police Foundation.

The investigation further revealed that to avoid any hindrance in the meetings of the NPF Board of Directors against an illegal auction, Managing Director NPF Sabir Ahmad changed the composition of the NFP Board of Directors (BoD) with approval from the caretaker federal government last year.

According to the available documents, Additional Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mohammad Ali Babakhel opposed the disposal of commercial land through a sealed bid during the board meeting, convened on March 25, 2024.

“It would have been better if an open auction under the hammer had been carried out instead of the sealed bid auction,” the IG KP said.

The minutes of the meeting further revealed that Director HQs Admin NPF objected to the auction procedure being violative of several laws including “National Police Foundation Allotment Rules (Amendaments) 2023 and The Islamabad Land Disposal Regulation 2005”.

He pointed out that Rule 9 (1) of the NPF Rules stipulates that “the commercial plots in the scheme shall be disposed of through the open auction to the general public for generation of funds for the welfare of the beneficiaries.”

Sources further said that the NPF in connivance with Shunaid Qureshi invited bids for the establishment of a 100-bed General Hospital at 26 Kanal (s) plot at NPF 0-9 housing scheme.

A specific clause was added to the bidding criteria for a joint venture to establish a 100-bed general hospital to facilitate Shunaid Qureshi, a director of the private TV channel.

This clause was introduced without the approval of the Federal Government to extend favor to a particular Trukish firm backed by M/S SMB Services.