**Summary:**
Affected members of the University Town Housing Society have expressed grave concerns over the Rawalpindi Development Authority’s (RDA) recent speaking order, alleging it is unclear, ineffective, and biased in favor of the housing society’s developer. During a press conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad, representatives of the victims called for a transparent investigation—potentially via judicial commission—into controversial aspects of the order, citing a long history of alleged fraud, regulatory failures, and harassment of residents.
**Body:**
Representatives of University Town’s affected allottees, including Umar Siddique Khattak, Arshad Hussain Zalmi, Malik Nisar Ahmed, Barrister Mumtaz Babar, Sarfraz Chadhar Advocate, Asim Shehzad, Haroon Rashid, Shafqat Ali, and Khalid Masood Bajwa, detailed their grievances at a press event. They criticized the RDA’s directive to the developer to submit a new or revised site plan, as well as the claim that 75% of development has been completed, calling it false and contrary to ground realities, which they say reflect only 30% development. The group accused the RDA of colluding with the developer under possible pressure or in exchange for strategic advantages.
The origins of the crisis trace back to 1992, when the Khyber Welfare Housing Society (KHS) was established as a residential scheme for employees of Allama Iqbal Open University. The RDA issued the first and second No Objection Certificates (NOC) in 2002 and 2006, respectively. Later, the Islamabad High Court ordered that KHS be registered with the Cooperative Registrar and elections for the society be held. Instead, KHS convener Abdul Aziz Khan, then a stenographer at Allama Iqbal University, allegedly committed fraud by registering the society under false pretenses in Faisalabad and then re-registering it with the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) as his private entity, University Town (Pvt.) Ltd. He also obtained an NOC under this new name from the RDA in 2021 and, in violation of the Punjab Housing Schemes Act 2021, established independent bylaws, allegedly paving the way for further fraud and embezzlement.
Despite over three decades having passed, only 500 homes have been built, according to the victims, due to mismanagement and the lack of basic amenities. The administration is accused of routinely intimidating allottees, at times using police personnel in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, or through the filing of false legal complaints. Numerous residents have reportedly had their complaints ignored by the authorities.
A critical meeting was held between the RDA Director General, society administrators, and victims’ representatives, resulting in a 27-point agenda signed by the developer and deadlines set for addressing grievances. However, the administration allegedly failed to resolve any complaints.
A significant issue raised was the approval of NOC for 3,454 kanals, while the society owns only 2,350 kanals. Thousands of plot files are therefore said to be bogus, and the society is accused of unlawfully collecting various additional charges from residents. The developers allegedly sold files for land already sold to another society, later canceling those files illegally.
Following these revelations, and based on RDA investigations, an FIR (No. 597/25) was registered against the University Town administration under charges of fraud and forgery. The accused initially obtained pre-arrest bail, which was later dismissed, and they subsequently went absconding. Requests for bail before the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi bench, were made conditional on compliance with RDA’s speaking order—a document that both parties were to contribute to.
Subsequent meetings in late June between RDA and the stakeholders led to assurances that victims would receive relief. Yet, the RDA’s final speaking order failed to deliver meaningful or actionable relief, according to the complainants. The court further extended the bail of the accused while the RDA sought more time to implement the speaking order.
Victims fear that the RDA’s actions amount to an attempt to retroactively legalize longstanding irregularities, giving the appearance of progress while failing to address the core issues of those affected. They voiced concerns that even the criminal proceedings may ultimately benefit the developer rather than the aggrieved public.
To intensify their fight for justice, the victims announced their intention to file further legal petitions and maintain pressure during ongoing hearings. Formal requests for investigations have also been submitted to the Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), and a protest was staged outside the press club to demand their rights and highlight alleged injustices perpetrated by the University Town administration.
