LAHORE/OKARA: The Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Monday arrested Khawar Farid Maneka, former husband of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, on charges of illegal construction on graveyard land.

According to the ACE, Mr Maneka, a former FBR official, attempted to leave the country for the UAE at the Lahore airport when he was told that his name had been on the no-fly list and he was wanted by the ACE in a land case.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) handed him over to the ACE Lahore which presented him before a magistrate who approved his one-day transitory remand. Maneka will be handed over to the ACE Sahiwal which had issued his arrest warrants on Sept 14.

The ACE said the FIR against Maneka was registered in the light of a reference by the Okara deputy commissioner.

“Maneka had illegally constructed 26 shops and a marriage hall on the four-kanal land of Pir Islam Graveyard Haveli Lakha without map approval. He has received Rs26million rent from this project so far but paid no tax,” it said and added the suspect had been shifted to the Sahiwal region for further investigation.

“An ACE team has been constituted for the arrest of the other suspects involved in this case,” it said.

The FIR has been registered against Maneka and others under sections 409 (Criminal breach of trust by a public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (Using as genuine a forged document). The officials of the revenue, auqaf, and excise departments allegedly helped Maneka to ‘grab the land’.

CASE: Khawar Maneka’s two sons and three officials of revenue, aquaf and excise departments are also among the accused.

Three others, to whom the land was sublet by the Manekas, were summoned to join inquiry for the fixation of their role by the two-member ACE investigation team. As per the FIR registered by Okara ACE police station, the case was referred by Okara DC Zeeshan Hanif to the ACE regional director Kanwar Khalid.

Khawar Maneka and his sons Musa and Ibrahim Maneka grabbed 37 kanal, 06 marla land with the connivance of officials. For the last five years, the accused received heavy amount from renters but did not pay Haveli Lakkha municipal dues.Musa and Ibrahim are in hiding. According to some social media reports, they have already left the country.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023