Karachiites, beware of buying plots in PIDC Employees housing society

Authorities have sealed the office of M/s PIDC Employees Multipurpose Cooperative Housing Society after complaints of illegal sale of plots by a fake management. The society is located in Scheme-33 and has its office in Panorama Center, Saddar.

The Sindh Cooperative Housing Societies Department received several complaints from society members and the assistant registrar over illegal occupation of the society office.

The SCHSD deputy registrar last week requested the South superintendent of police to vacate the society office. It has been sealed until election of the society as it didn’t have a legitimate managing committee, according to the deputy registrar.

The PIDC Employees Cooperative Housing Society is on the Sindh Building Control Authority’s list of societies that have yet to have their layout plans approved.

Muhammad Tahir Shaikh, a 75-year-old senior society member, said the fake management was illegally selling plots.

Shaikh is one of the complainants who registered complaints in the offices of the SCHSD deputy registrar and assistant registrar.

Abdul Hafeez Brohi, the PIDC Employees Cooperative Housing Society secretary, was involved in selling and buying plots along with his team, according to Shaikh.

The Cooperative Housing Societies Department nominated Fateh Jamali as the society’s administrator. Jamali appointed Brohi the society secretary without holding an election in 2012.

They restrained society members from taking part in election and announced their own secretary and office-bearers.

“The original members bought plots in the PIDC Employees Cooperative Housing Society in 1971,” Shaikh said. “The society is located in Scheme-33, Gulzar-e-Hijri.”

Society members have registered their complaints with different organisations, including the National Accountability Bureau and the Sindh Anti-Corruption & Establishment.

Brohi and his team sold out plots to innocent people by forging files, Shaikh alleged. They colluded with estate agents, who brought them buyers.

The agents sent potential buyers to the society office for verification of plot files and legal status of the society, according to the society member. The fake management verified the documents and referred people back to estate agents for further process.

Over the last 10 years, the fake management made several changes in the society’s layout plan too, Shaikh said. NAB is already investigating the society’s administrator and secretary, he said.