The plan to shift the Pakistani Army's headquarters was shelved nearly a decade ago. (File)
Islamabad:
The Pakistani Army plans to shift its General Headquarters or GHQ from Rawalpindi to Islamabad and is ready to start construction on the new site, Pakistan-based newspaper Dawn reported today. During a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee's sub-panel, a top official of the Capital Development Authority or CDA said the army would shift its GHQ, the report said.
The plan to shift the GHQ was shelved nearly a decade ago at the instruction of former Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani due to financial constraints, the report said.
An audit report said the CDA acquired 870 acres in D-11 and E-10 for the GHQ at Rs 1,159 per square yard, and gave land to the GHQ at a subsidised rate of Rs 200 per square yard. The report said the subsidised allotment "resulted into loss to the authority amounting to Rs 4,034 million".
According to the report, the Public Accounts Committee or PAC sub-panel headed by Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed had sought to know whether work on the site had begun, to which CDA Member Estate Khushal Khan said, "They have revived the plan and are about to kick off construction activities."
The audit report stated that the CDA Directorate of Land went into a package deal to acquire land for the GHQ, Islamic University in H-10 and for a residential sector in D-12, and allotted the affected villagers double plots.
However, when the authority told the committee that the land was procured mainly for the GHQ, the committee took a lenient stance and settled the matter, the report said.
In 2009, six terrorists wearing Pakistani Army uniforms attacked the GHQ, killing six soldiers. Four terrorists were also killed.
The plan to shift the GHQ was shelved nearly a decade ago at the instruction of former Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani due to financial constraints, the report said.
An audit report said the CDA acquired 870 acres in D-11 and E-10 for the GHQ at Rs 1,159 per square yard, and gave land to the GHQ at a subsidised rate of Rs 200 per square yard. The report said the subsidised allotment "resulted into loss to the authority amounting to Rs 4,034 million".
According to the report, the Public Accounts Committee or PAC sub-panel headed by Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed had sought to know whether work on the site had begun, to which CDA Member Estate Khushal Khan said, "They have revived the plan and are about to kick off construction activities."
The audit report stated that the CDA Directorate of Land went into a package deal to acquire land for the GHQ, Islamic University in H-10 and for a residential sector in D-12, and allotted the affected villagers double plots.
However, when the authority told the committee that the land was procured mainly for the GHQ, the committee took a lenient stance and settled the matter, the report said.
In 2009, six terrorists wearing Pakistani Army uniforms attacked the GHQ, killing six soldiers. Four terrorists were also killed.
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