Shattered dreams.

Byline: Syed Saadat

LEGEND has it that thousands of years ago, human beings had very long lifespans and lived for hundreds of years. A sage of those times was telling his disciples that there would come a time when people would not live that long and the average lifespan would be less than even 100 years.

An old lady interjected, 'Then surely those people would not build any houses at all; why build a house for such a short span?' The sage smiled, 'They would make the strongest of houses; expensive, lavish and elaborate.' And, he added, 'they would not mind going to any extent to do that'. Neither the woman nor the sage lived long enough to see those times, but they are well and truly here.

When everyone was busy worrying about the outcome of the coronavirus, 13 federal secretaries, including some retired ones got themselves plots in the most developed and beautiful sector D-12 right at the foot of the Margalla Hills of Islamabad - even though the regulations clearly state that any new plots emerging in already developed CDA (Capital Development Authority) sectors must be auctioned to earn maximum revenue.

Had these plots been auctioned, the average sale price would be at least Rs50 million for each. That is not the only problem here. In 2007, then president Musharraf, to win over the civilian bureaucracy, introduced a perk for federal secretaries to receive a plot in addition to their normal service benefit plot, which means at least two residential plots in the federal capital. This policy in itself is controversial, contentious and discriminatory.

The CDA could earn billions by initiating the process of regularisation.

Even in these uncertain times, the secretaries benefited themselves instead of getting their act together to question the failure of the CDA to develop sectors G-14, E-12, I-15 and many more despite getting development charges from the allottees decades ago. So much so that 1,400 out of 4,200 allottees of E-12 have passed away without getting anything.

Such loot and plunder has happened too often right under the nose of the prime minister to give him the benefit of the doubt that he is not aware of it. In cricketing parlance, it seems to be a case of LBW- loot before watchman.

When it comes to himself, everything falls into place. The prime minister's Banigala residence had been found to be illegal. It will be regularised in one way or the other and the time it takes does not really seem to bother him as he continues to...