MULTAN: The local National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office converted a complaint against politician Sultan Mahmood Hanjra into an inquiry over illegal allotment of state land. It also converted an inquiry against former MPA Malik Rafique Khar into an investigation on the same charges.

According to an official handout issued here on Tuesday, the inquiry against Mr Hanjra had been authorised over allegations of misappropriation and illegal allotment of state land and earning huge sums in return.

It stated that the suspect with the connivance of revenue officers and officials of Kot Addu, including former district executive officer Ghulam Akbar Khichi, illegally got allotment of 6,000 kanal of state land in the names of his associates through bogus evacuee claims in Kot Addu tehsil, Muzaffargarh district.

“Furthermore, illegalities are observed in transfer of 1,000 kanal of private land in Mauza Shadi Khan Munda with the connivance of revenue personnel through fraud and forgery in official record,” the handout stated.

An investigation was also initiated against former MPA Mr Khar on allegations of misappropriation and illegal allotment of state land in the names of his associates and sons in Kot Addu tehsil.

According to the handout, Mr Khar illegally got allotment of state land when he was tehsil nazim in 2008 with connivance of revenue staff through bogus evacuee claims. Mr Khichi and other suspects facilitated him in the allotment of about 4,622 kanal.

An inquiry was also initiated against Waqas Arshad for allegedly cheating public in Kabirwala, Khanewal district.

According to the handout, several complaints had been received that Arshad cheated people by collecting millions of rupees from them in the name of investment in an insurance company as well as in Singapore and London Stock Exchange.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2017