Senator Faisal Vawda reveals Rs60bn corruption scandal

• Federal minister blamed for criminal negligence.
• Land worth millions was being sold cheaply.
• Vawda claims evidence FIA, NAB failed to collect.

Senate Committee on Maritime Chairman Senator Faisal Vawda has unearthed a Rs60 billion corruption scandal, blaming a federal minister for "criminal negligence".

Appearing on Geo News' Programme "Capital Talk", Vawda revealed the details of the land scam with documentary evidence. He also held Minister for Maritime Affairs Qaisar Sheikh responsible for the negligence.

He said within 72 hours, the land deal worth Rs60 billion was cancelled. "I asked for one thing but they did not respond to me and went ahead to scrap the deal in 72 hours," he said.

The senator said during this period, they also published a denial in some unknown newspapers. Land worth millions was sold for Rs800,000 to Rs1 million per acre.

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

"They approached under the garb of foreign investors. When confronted, we were told that the foreigners had run away. Since 2018, there were 14,000 acres, which have been left to only 135 acres," he said.

In 2018, Senator Vawda said Ali Zaidi also got the act passed while bypassing the cabinet. "Minister of Shipping Qaisar Sheikh said that was concluded 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 Ministry of Maritime," he said.

"If I have evidence of corruption, why do the others not have it? The entire system is its beneficiary. I am writing a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. I will place all the evidence before him."

Govt response

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Sheikh said on the same programme that due to Senator Vawda, the treasury was saved 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 issue dates back to 2005 when 1,500 acres were allotted. This party paid only 2%. When the issue of payment of the remaining amount was raised, they approached the court,” he said.

Sheikh said an attempt was made to resolve the matter outside the court this year. "Money was made by applying the old price and taking interest on 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 came to light in the committee, I myself went to Port Qasim. It was not cancelled 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.

'Misdeeds'

Prior to appearing on the show, the Senate Committee on Maritime's chairman expressed his gratitude for the swift action taken by the committee to uncover irregularities in the controversial sale of 500 acres of land at Port Qasim leading to its cancellation, ultimately saving the nation from the loss of estimated Rs60 billion.

"Had we not intervened and exposed the corruption, the country would have lost Rs60 billion. Our collective action ensured that the fraudulent sale was cancelled within 72 hours of our recommendations," he said while chairing the meeting of the committee.

The committee reviewed critical issues related to the management of maritime assets, particularly the controversial sale of 500 acres of land at Port Qasim.

The committee delved into the sale of 500 acres of land at Port Qasim, which was reportedly sold for a mere 2% advance, amounting to a fraction of its actual value, estimated at Rs60 billion.

Vawda questioned the legitimacy of the transaction, saying: "Only 2% was taken after selling land worth Rs60 billion. If the transaction was legitimate, why was it reversed within 72 hours?"

The land was originally allotted for industrial use in 2006, and the committee heard from officials that an out-of-court settlement had been pursued.

However, Senator Vawda raised doubts: "Who authorised the Port Qasim Board to sell land worth Rs60 billion for just Rs5 billion? This goes beyond their scope and authority."

The committee also questioned the role of the Port Qasim Board in the controversial land sale. Port Qasim officials claimed that the matter was handled appropriately 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 truly foreign but local and had a questionable track record, was involved in the deal.

He further emphasised: "The board’s actions cannot be defended. Even military boards, dictators, or chief justices cannot get away with such misdeeds."

The committee was also briefed on the current state of Port Qasim’s land holdings. Port Qasim owns approximately 14,000 acres of land, with 9,574 acres leased out.

In addition, the authority purchased 1,000 acres of land and is awaiting possession of 1,250 acres from the Sindh government. Vawda called for the inclusion of technocrats and businessmen from the private sector in the port’s management board to ensure efficiency and transparency.

In line with the findings of the meeting, Senator Vawda proposed several recommendations for immediate action, these included freezing pending payments in land acquisition deals at Port Qasim, KPT, Gwadar Port and PNSC until further investigations are completed.