ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar on Thursday announced that the government had retrieved 22 “illegal” properties wroth over Rs200 billion owned by opposition leaders, mostly belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

“The Qabza mafia (land grabbers) benefiting former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members have also been arrested,” Mr Akbar said while speaking at a press conference here.

“The Sharifs have been deprived of monetary benefits they were taking from the Qabza mafia,” the adviser said.

He gave details of what he claimed billions of rupees’ land “illegally” occupied by the leaders of opposition parties, mainly in Punjab.

Shahzad Akbar says most properties were owned by PML-N lawmakers

The adviser quoted from a document details of the “illegally occupied” land and properties. He said former MNA Malik Saif-ul-Malook and former MPA Muhammad Afzal Khokhar had been accused of illegally grabbing and fraudulently transferring over 1,025 kanals of state land and selling it to the Punjab Industrial Estates Development & Management Company (PIDMIC) on a very high price of Rs70.78 million. A case was registered against them in Lahore and the land had been retrieved, he said.

“They have also been accused of getting registered a surrender deed, instead of Rs1.82 million sale deed; getting registered 206 kanals of four-marla plots worth Rs2.25 million as surrender deed, which was totally illegal; 45 kanals of state land of Khokhar palace and surroundings worth Rs1.5 billion has been retrieved and 80 kanals, four-marla property worth R3 billion owned by Dinsha Jee was got transferred to the front man of accused namely Mubeen, Dawood and Afzal,” Mr Akbar said.

Mudasar Qayum Nahra, Azhar Qayum Nahra and Mazhar Qayum Nahra of the PML-N were accused of illegally occupying state land of 267 kanals worth Rs100 million which had been retrieved and Mudassar Nahra was arrested on Dec 18 last year.

Ghulam Dastagir Khan, father of former federal minister Khurram Dastagir Khan, was accused of illegally occupying state land measuring two kanals valuing Rs92 million on the main Grand Trunk Road and building a petrol pump/CNG station on it. He grabbed the commercial state land measuring one kanal, built a cinema worth Rs66 million. Rent of the land amounting Rs54.66 million will be recovered from Ghulam Dastgir Khan, who is said to be on pre-arrest bail, the adviser said.

Mr Akbar accused Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranjha, PML-N MNA, and his father, of getting registered 13 exchange deeds worth Rs15.68 million to conceal “black money” and in exchange no land was given. He said NAB Lahore was also inquiring their “illegal” asset of 2,000-kanal orchard land in Sargodha worth billions of rupees.

PPP secretary general Nayyar Bukhari was accused of illegally grabbing 60 kanals of state land worth Rs48 million belonging to Quaid-i-Azam University. The land has been retrieved by the local administration of Islamabad and Capital Development Authority (CDA).

Former senator Chaudhry Tanveer was accused of occupying benami land measuring 5,000 kanals worth Rs7 billion in Rawalpindi and 27 kanals of commercial land (state land) in Rawalpindi. The land has been retrieved and a case has also been registered against him in June 2019.

Muhammad Aziz, father of former PML-N minister Daniyal Aziz, was accused of having illegally occupied state land measuring 2400 kanals worth Rs2,500 million in Sargodha.

PML-N MNA Mian Javeed Latif was accused of having illegally occupied state land measuring eight kanals and owning flour mills worth Rs34 million. The land has been retrieved.

He was also accused of establishing an illegal wagon stand through fake documents in the name of his mother; illegally grabbing 30 kanals and 16 marlas state land in the name of Mian Paper and Board Mill. The land has also been retrieved. He also ‘illegally’ constructed a service station and five shops and ‘illegally’ occupied and built a plaza on the state land owned by the Punjab Highway Department.

Former PML-N MPA Ahsan Raza Khan was accused of constructing an illegal housing society, Al Jannat Housing Society, measuring 107 kanals and six marlas in Kasur, causing a loss of Rs11.11 million to the national exchequer and illegally developing a commercial market in the limits of the town committee, without approval of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), causing a loss of Rs12.14 million.

Former MNA Ehsanul Haq Bajwa was accused of illegally grabbing 664 kanals of state land worth 1.37 billion. The land has been retrieved and a case has been registered against him.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2021