Rs6bn corruption scandal exposed in Punjab University Town-III

LAHORE: Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has taken notice of the prolonged delay in providing plots to affectees of Punjab University’s Town-III housing project, amid allegations of corruption involving around Rs6 billion.

The minister has directed that the issue be resolved within three months, offering renewed hope to people who say they have waited for years for possession of plots in which they invested their lifetime savings.

Rana Sikandar Hayat said the government would ensure that those who invested their hard-earned money in Town-III are not deprived of their rightful plots. He also ordered officials to examine why the affected investors have been waiting for nearly a decade.

“The Town-III issue will be resolved within three months,” the minister said, stressing that the interests of genuine affectees would be protected.

The controversy surrounding the housing scheme has remained a source of concern for investors, particularly those who invested their savings with the expectation of securing residential plots. The prolonged delay, according to the minister, has not only caused financial difficulties but has also forced some affectees to continue paying rent for years.

Rana Sikandar said those responsible for the delay and alleged irregularities would be identified and brought before the public. He vowed that action would be taken against individuals whose decisions or alleged misconduct caused losses and prolonged hardship for the affectees.

“We will see why Town-III affectees did not receive their plots for ten years,” the minister said, adding that the government would protect the money invested by people who had worked throughout their lives to secure a home.

The minister further said those responsible for keeping affectees deprived of their plots and forcing them to bear additional rental expenses would face consequences.

The Rs 6bn corruption allegation has added another serious dimension to the long-running dispute. However, the allegations and responsibility for any financial wrongdoing would need to be established through a transparent investigation and due legal process.

Punjab University, one of Pakistan’s oldest higher education institutions, operates major campuses in Lahore, including the Allama Iqbal Campus and the Quaid-i-Azam Campus. The university says its Quaid-i-Azam Campus covers about 1,800 acres and serves as a major centre of academic and administrative activity.

For Town-III affectees, however, the immediate question is whether the latest government intervention will finally end years of uncertainty.

With a three-month deadline now announced, attention is likely to focus on the investigation, identification of those allegedly responsible and, most importantly, the actual delivery of plots to the affected investors.