ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Accountability Shahzad Akbar has reiterated the government’s commitment to continue the anti-corruption drive for recovering looted money of the nation.
Addressing a news conference on Sunday, Shahzad Akbar said that stern action will be taken against those involved in corruption and illegally grabbing the country’s properties.
He said the sole purpose of opposition parties’ hue and cry is to protect their looted money. He said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) always promoted political patronage and corruption in the country. The adviser said that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is fighting for their self-defence and personal interests that has been exposed through their demands in NAB law reforms.
Citing statistics related to recoveries in Punjab, he said, “We recovered Rs210 billion from 36 people mostly belonging to PML-N, during the last two-and-a-half years while illegal properties worth billions rupees have also been recovered. He said a total of above 8,000 acres of illegal land has been retrieved so far that is now being utilised for public welfare.
Sharing the success of the anti-corruption drive in Punjab, he said the authorities concerned went after a lot of bigwigs for their corrupt activities so that justice could be served. He gave details of what he claimed billions of rupees’ land “illegally” occupied by the leaders of opposition parties, mainly in Punjab.
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) at a very high price of Rs70.78 million. A case was registered against them in Lahore and the land had been retrieved, he 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 December 18 last year.
Ghulam Dastagir Khan, father of 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.
Akbar accused PML-N MNA Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranjha 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 about 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.
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 said the government is ready to hold talks with opposition on every important issue except national reconciliation ordinance (NRO) or person specific bill.
Counting on the PTI government’s development programmes, he said, “We aim at providing universal health coverage in Punjab till the end of this year.” – TLTP