GUJRAT: Former MNA Nawabzada Ghazanfar Ali Gull of the PML-N has alleged that the land mafia is in full action after the elections, as after a recent operation against land grabbing in Tanda town of Gujrat tehsil, a local influential group started encroaching upon the land of a local resident.

He said this in a statement issued here on Monday, adding that the case involving a piece of land was decided in favour of owner Rashid Ahmed Kalis and no appeal was filed against the judgement.

“A few days ago, a group started occupying Rashid’s land illegally. I immediately approached the Sadar deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and requested him to intervene and summon the parties with their ownership documents after which the occupation stopped,” said Mr Gull. “But, the illegal occupation resumed on Saturday. I went to the superintendent of police (SP) and apprised him of the situation.

He called the Tanda station house officer (SHO) and directed him to stop the illegal occupation forthwith. The SP also directed to take the parties to the DSP with their documents. Rashid showed his documents to the DSP, but the other side didn’t. The DSP directed the SHO to stop the occupation and bring the parties to him on Monday” he added.

However, he claimed, the illegal occupation continued with support of local police as the SHO did not implement the orders.

He claimed that he brought the matter into the notice of Gujranwala regional police officer on Monday and asked him to register a case against the alleged land grabbers.

Gull accused PML-Q leaders of patronising the land grabbers and said criminal activities continued unabated and unchecked in the district where police had been functioning without a regular district police officer for the last about two months.

SP Amjad Qureshi told Dawn that a land dispute had come to his notice and now a case had also been lodged against the alleged land grabbers.

The DSP had been assigned to conduct an inquiry into the matter after which necessary legal action would be taken.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2018

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