ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) will set up a fuel station in G-13 at a cost-sharing basis.

Sources in the FGEHA told Dawn that the Ministry of Defence will set up the petrol pump on a plot measuring 2224.9 square yards of FGEHA located in mauve area of G-13/1.

They said that the ministry had requested the FGEHA for the joint venture and subsequently the FGEHA management placed the matter before its executive board which approved the proposal recently.

The board was told that FGEHA had received the proposal from the Ministry of Defence regarding disposal of a fuel station on FGEHA’s plot in G-13 on government-to-government basis, joint venture/lease model. The board was briefed by FGEHA officials that Ministry of Defence intended to enter into G2G joint venture-cum-lease agreement with FGEHA on profit-sharing basis for establishment of the fuel facility and other commercial services to “meet ministry’s requirement and serve the public.”

Ministry intends to enter into joint venture with housing authority to serve the public, says official

FGEHA and defence ministry decided that the fuel station would be set up on joint venture-cum lease period for 33 years (extendable) and profit sharing would be 40 and 60pc between the two organisations, respectively.

The board was also informed that Ministry of Defence had agreed to develop a greenbelt/park, covering approximately 15 kanals at the juncture of service roads of G-13 and G-14 and Srinagar Highway.

“The development would include soft landscaping and other elements under Corporate Social Responsibility model, serving as a vista and landmark for FGEHA sectors. Maintenance and related activities were to be managed by the Ministry of Defence, which in return would have advertisement rights at site.”

The executive board headed by federal housing minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada approved the summary of FGEHA and allowed it to enter into the joint agreement with Ministry of Defence.

“The act of FGEHA allowed us for joint venture. This deal is win-win for both parties and soon the facility [fuel station] would be developed,” said an official of FGEHA. He said the board met a couple of weeks ago, but the minutes were issued a few days ago.

The FGEHA is a subsidiary of Ministry of Housing and Works and has been struggling to meet the expectations of its members. It is supposed to provide plots and apartments to its members, but currently a number of its projects are either halted or continued with slow pace.

However, recently the housing minister directed FGEHA to take steps for completion of stalled projects.

In the executive board meeting, the FGEHA also pleaded for a new business plan, as current delivery rate is 1100 units/plots per years while 155,862 applicants awaiting their turns.

In the next board meeting, the business plan would be presented for approval with flexibility in policies like joint ventures and public private partnership etc.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2025