A major scandal has come to light involving the auction of a multi-billion rupee commercial plot at the National Police Foundation (NPF) in Islamabad’s E-11 sector. The plot, spanning 10-12 Kanals, was sold under a sealed-bid auction process despite its evaluation at Rs1.0204 billion. This plot, an amalgamation of eight smaller plots, was allegedly sold at a fraction of its market value, resulting in a loss of approximately Rs5 billion to the national exchequer.
Sources within the NPF suggest that the auction process was manipulated to benefit M/S SMB Services (Pvt) Ltd, a company that allegedly received the plot at a price far lower than market rates. Documents obtained reveal that only two firms, M/S Convolair (Pvt) Ltd and M/S SMB Services (Pvt) Ltd, submitted bids, which were opened on December 28, 2023.
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The investigation indicates that the sealed-bid auction method was adopted in direct violation of the directions issued by the NPF’s “Committee of Administration.” Furthermore, the eligibility criteria were reportedly changed to favor SMB Services, which is run by directors with close ties to influential figures, including Shunaid Qureshi, a director of a prominent Islamabad-based news outlet.
Officials who raised concerns about the legality of the auction were allegedly transferred from the NPF, and the composition of the NPF Board of Directors was altered to ensure that the illegal auction would proceed unhindered. The controversial auction method also drew objections from key figures like Mohammad Ali Babakhel, Additional Inspector General of Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who argued that an open auction would have been a more transparent and lawful approach.
Adding further to the controversy, sources revealed that a clause was inserted into the bidding process for the establishment of a 100-bed hospital at the NPF’s O-9 housing scheme, allegedly to favor a Turkish firm backed by M/S SMB Services. This move was made without federal government approval, fueling suspicions of further manipulation.
