|
Former Pakistan army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani may have called it a day but he is still in the line of fire. |
Security threats have apparently forced the general to abandon his newly built retirement home and opt for living near the heavily guarded army house.
While he was still in service, General Kayani planned to spend his retired life in Islamabad’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) colony where he constructed a house at a scenic location in Phase 1.
Perched on a corner plot, the house continues to stand apart in the housing colony. Its terraced gardens slope down to the River Soan. The plot in front
remains vacant.
However, security experts felt that the house was a security threat because it was impossible to protect the rear end of the house (where the land sloped down to the river).
Although, the house has close circuit television (CCTV) for monitoring the security of the house but this was deemed insufficient.
Consequently, Gen Kayani, months before his retirement, started constructing a new house in the heavily guarded and secure neighbourhood of the Army House, a retired army officer living in the same area claims.
According to him, it was chance that a piece of land was lying vacant near the official residence of the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Committee (CJCSC).
However, the retired officer added that some quarters of conservancy staff were relocated after the plot of land was allotted to Gen Kayani.
Currently, the house is under construction and is likely to be ready in a couple of months.
It is also being said that Gen Kayani may stay in the Army House till the completion of his new house; in case he needs to move, he will shift into the army guest house which is also situated in the same locality.
In his newly adopted neighbourhood, Gen Kayani will enjoy the company of dozens of retired Generals including two former army chiefs - Mirza Aslam Baig and Abdul Waheed Kakar.
These are not the only properties that the retired general is said to own. Sources in the Military Estate Office (MEO) said he also owns a piece of land in the army’s officer colony of National Stadium Karachi (NSK) where about 100 army officers own property.
The value of the NSK plots may be gauged by the fact that soon after this land was allotted in February 2006, former director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt General Ahmed Shuja Pasha sold it for Rs23mn.
Other military officials who own land here include Gen Ehsanul Haq, Nadeem Taj, Gen Syed Ehtasham Zamir, Nadeem Ahmed, and Syed
Ather Ali.
