LAHORE: Two PML-N MNAs have come on the radar of the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Punjab for their alleged role in grabbing pieces of state land.

“PML-N MNA from Sahiwal Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf and Mian Javed Latif from Sheikhupura will face legal action for alleged grabbing of the state land,” ACE Punjab chief Gohar Nafees told Dawn on Friday.

He said the ACE had decided in principle to register a case against Chaudhry Ashraf for illegally grabbing 200-kanal state land in Arifwala while investigation was under way to determine the role of Javed Latif in a land grab case and subsequently action would be taken against him.

“All those officials concerned who helped the lawmakers grab the state land will also face legal action,” Mr Nafees said.

On Friday, the ACE team launched the operation in Arifwala and recovered 217 kanal and three marla government land from Chaudhry Ashraf. In the other raid, it recovered precious eight kanal and three marla land from Javed Latif and others.

“Javed Latif had constructed New Mian Flour Mills on illegally occupied state land,” the ACE said. The officials with the help of the district administration demolished the boundary wall of the mills.

Another official told Dawn that Javed Latif ‘smartly’ occupied the state land in order to save his skin from any legal action.

“MNA Latif used to grab the state land through his front men in connivance with the revenue officials from whom he bought it to become a bona fide purchaser,” he said. The ACE was exploring the legal options to lay hand on him but he (Latif) was confident that he would get away in this case, he said.

On Aug 1, on the complaint of the Punjab Cooperative Board for Liquidation, the ACE recovered the state land in Sheikhupura from Javed Latif who has set up Mian Latif Paper and Board Mills. The mills had been set up on 30 kanal and 15 marla state land. The ACE had demolished the boundary walls of the paper mills and handed it over to the officers of the Punjab Cooperation Board for Liquidation.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2019