STN, Thursday, September 9, 2010 02:05 PM,

Anwer Hussain Sumra

LAHORE: The Board of Revenue (BoR) Punjab has unearthed a scam involving billions of rupees in which state land was illegally transferred to a citizen who then eventually sold it to the Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

The BoR recommended to competent authority for referring the case to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as some top politicians, an editor of a local newspaper and officials of revenue department were involved in this perhaps the biggest land scandal that caused a loss of billions of rupees to provincial exchequer.

During the probe into the scam, Liaqat Gulzar, a Patwari of Halqa village Karbath admitted before the competent authority that he did it at the behest of some politicians and senior revenue officials through illegal order of the then Lahore cantonment Consolidation Officer Burhan-ud-Din Qureshi.

However, the accused is not ready to admit his offence in black and white, fearing the wrath of beneficiaries of the scam in which land of Evacuee Trust was transferred to a citizen with forgery and fictitious entries in revenue record.

According to details, Liaqat had fraudulently managed to transfer 240-Kanal and 6-Marlas of evacuee property of Punjab government through fake mutation No 4751 in favour of Mst Aziza Hashmi after the illegal orders of Consolidation Officer Cantt, Lahore. This transfer of land was endorsed by Muhammad Naeem Monga, Naib Tehsildar Lahore Cantt in October 2005 while original mutation which was required to be deposited in the Tehsildar office was not consigned as per revenue rules.

Later, the said officials transferred this land to DHA which was converted into plots of 500 yards and then some 600 files were made and these files were issued by DHA.

During inquiry, it was disclosed that Mst Aziza Hashmi was the owner of 457-Kanals under Khewat No. 357/320 and provincial government owned land under Khewat No-421/374. It was revealed while tracing the case file, that CO Lahore Cantt passed a judicial order to exchange provincial property measuring 240-Kanals and 6-Marlas with 319-Kanals out of 457-Kanals of land owned by Aziza Hashmi.

The exchange of land was done fraudulently with the connivance of revenue and consolidation officer and staff as all the evacuee land stood acquired and brought in the compensation pool constituted under section-4 of the Displaced Persons Act, 1958 according to which CO had no authority to allow exchange of land and the act was unlawful and misuse of authority.

According to Consolidation Ordinance, the evacuee land could not be allocated in the Wanda of any right holder, therefore, the CO had no jurisdiction to give any evacuee land to any private person.

The inquiry officer further observed that the land owned by Aziza was irrigational and in the revenue record it was classified as 'Gharimumkin Nehr' it was strange how Aziza became the owner of the said land as the law does not permit such deed. The authority further pointed out that the said mutation so sanctioned was a fraudulent transaction. That was why the original mutation was not consigned in the Tehsil office.

During inquiry, many overwriting and cuttings record particularly in relation with mutation were found after erasing the pervious entry which was done with malafide intention by the staff.

The order of CO dated April 29, 2005 also appears to be wrongly dated and bogus one which is a gross violation of law.

It was found during inquiry, that Shah Aseem Hashmi legal heir of Aziza did an agreement of sale of 56-kanal of land in favour of an editor of a local newspaper and also gave a power of attorney to purchaser. It was found that this fraud was committed by the said editor with the connivance of revenue staff.

The inquiry officer observed that the order of CO dated 29th April, 2005 and subsequent mutation of exchange were fake and fictitious and back-dated.

The void orders are illegal; neither do they confer any right on any body nor denote any change in the legal position of any existing possession as this land belonged to the Punjab, hence fake mutations does not alter its original position.

In the light of these facts, the District Collector is directed to review the mutation No-4752 and subsequently ensuing mutations and to restore the original position in the record as an evacuee property in the name of the provincial government and its compliance be reported within the fortnight along with change in revenue record.

The inquiry officer objected that gross misuse of authority was made by the concerned officials with the connivance of beneficiaries to cause colossal loss to public kitty. The government should refer the case to NAB to probe and proceed against the delinquent officials and persons. The inquiry officer further recommended that the said land should be auctioned out immediately to save it from land grabbers, hovering in the city under the blessing of mighty ruling party politicians.

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