ISLAMABAD: The Senate was informed on Thursday that the camping ground (CG) in Rawat measuring 95.79 acres is owned by the army and on its front the National Highway Authority (NHA) has constructed and outsourced a bus bay/vehicle stand and tax collected there is deposited by the contractor with the union council of Rawat.

Military authorities have no concern whatsoever with the tax collection.

In a written reply to a question raised by Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hassan, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak said the camping ground, comprising Khasra No 2405 and 2562 of Moza Rawat, is owned by the army since 1937 and the same is entered in the military land register of the Military Estate Office (MEO) Rawalpindi.

He said the CG was being utilised by the army for the said purpose and a very small portion was being utilised for temporary projects on land rent basis as per use of A-1 land policy issued by the Ministry of Defence through a letter dated May 2, 2008.

He said the CG Rawat as well as its utilisation was beyond legal jurisdiction of the union council, Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation and the NHA.

“On front of the camping ground, NHA has constructed/outsourced a bus bay/vehicle stand while utilising right of way. The tax collected thereby is deposited by the contractor with the union council Rawat. Military authorities have no concern whatsoever with the tax collection,” he said.

Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hassan had raised the question: “Will the minister for defence be pleased to refer to Senate whether the station headquarters Rawalpindi has awarded contract/authorised a private contractor to collect parking/adda fee at Kalar Syedan Road, Rawat, Islamabad. If so, the reasons thereof and if not the action taken/being taken against the contractor/person?”

An identical matter was raised in the National Assembly on Feb 3 (Wednesday) by MNA Saad Waseem. He wanted a reply from the interior minister “whether administration of Islamabad capital territory has taken notice of illegal charging of parking/adda fee by persons from every passenger vehicle at Kallar Syedan Road, Rawat, which falls under the administrative control of Islamabad Capital Territory despite the fact that Kallar Syedan Road at Rawat was not included in the contract for collecting parking/adda fee at GT Road Rawat. If so, the details thereof and steps being taken to stop such illegal charging of parking fee forthwith and hold the responsible persons/accountable?”

In a written response, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said union council Rawat/local government is not collecting adda/parking fee as the same is in the possession of the army i.e. station headquarters Rawalpindi is collecting fee from there through a private contractor.

Previously, he said, the UC had taken possession of the same as per order of the administrator/AC (rural) in 2013 but the same was taken again by the station headquarters Rawalpindi.

He said a writ had been filed by the union council Rawat in 2016 in this regard which is still pending before the Islamabad High Court.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2021