January 24, 2002	Thursday	Ziqa’ad 9, 1422

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TOBA TEK SINGH, Jan 23: The district council constituted a committee on Wednesday to investigate allegations that a mosque had been illegally demolished to make way for a market.

Brig Javed Akram (retired), a member, had stated that a former Toba Tek Singh MNA had purchased Punjab Road Transport Corporation land in an auction about four years ago. He said a mosque on the land, was illegally demolished to construct a market. He moved a resolution calling for demolition of the market and restoration of the mosque.

Opposition members Chaudry Saifullah Cheema, Tariq Saeed and Sardar Mulazam Abbas Gadhi opposed the resolution on the ground that four years had passed since the incident and that a mosque had been built in lieu of it on an alternate loction. They said the proposed action would be taken as political victimization since the former MNA was known to be an opponent of the district Nazim.

Mian Shoaib Muhammad, a member from the Nazim’s group, too, supported the point of view.

Naib Nazim Haji Ghulam Rabbani proposed that a committee be set up to establish the facts and to propose warranted action. The opposition members objected to this, too. A vote was then taken and the proposal was carried.

A six-member committee was then named for the purpose. It comprises Javed Akram, Tahir Pervez, Qasim Manzoor, Tariq Saeed, Saeed Ahmad Saeed and Mian Muhammad Shoaib.

Opposition member Tariq Saeed, however, announced he would not serve on the committee.

The council also discussed an alleged attempt by a 36-member group to obtain 1,500 acres in Chak 300 JB through fake documents. The land had already been allotted to some Christian families.

A four-member committee, comprising Javed Akram, Tahir Pervez, Tariq Saeed and a minority member, Ayub Anjum, was named to investigate the matter.

A resolution adopted by the council demanded that the Zakat and Ushr grant for scholarship for needy students be doubled.