MULTAN: The National Accountability Bureau has authorised three investigations against former MPA and former Kot Addu tehsil nazim Malik Rafiq Khar and others for illegal allotment and sale of state land.

According to an official handout, 4,623 kanals were allotted to people, of which 1,000 kanals were sold illegally in Mauza Shadi Khan Munda in Kot Addu tehsil. Also, 13,000 kanals were illegally allotted in the Thal Development Authority (TDA).

A complaint was registered on Jan 31, 2014 against Mr Khar, his sons and revenue officials of Muzaffargarh district for illegal allotment of state land.

It said that after complaint verification, an inquiry was authorised on April 21, 2017. The other accused are Mohsin Raza Khar and Ali Raza Khar (the sons of the former PMA), former executive district officers Naeemul Islam, Ghulam Akbar Khitchi and Waseem Shamshad besides other revenue officials and private persons.

The inquiry established that out of 4,622 kanals, the then EDO on July 27, 2007 granted 2,023 kanals of TDA in Chak No.609/TDA to Fazal Hussain 1/4th share, Rabnawaz 3/4th share against the claim of Mst Bakhtawri Baigam beyond his jurisdiction. Similarly, 95 kanals were also allotted in the name of Fazal Hussain and Rabnawaz in Chak No 610 TDA by the former EDO against the fake claim of Mst Bakhtawri in year 2007.

“Thereafter, in 2009, 750 kanals were allotted in the name of Ghulam Noor Khar, brother of the former MPA in Chak No 609 and 610 of TDA, Kot Addu. The remaining 1,753 kanals-11marals were also allotted to Mohsin and Ali Raza in Chak No607/606/609/611/613 and 614 of TDA. Subsequently, accused sold 1,752 kanals against a consideration of Rs138.65 million in 2008-09 in Chak No 609 of the TDA.

It stated the officers/officials of the revenue department were involved in forgery of revenue record in mauza Shadi Khan Munda of Tehsil Kot Addu because of which illegal beneficiaries sold out the land on the basis of forged documents.

“During inquiry, it was revealed that the original record of mutations No1481,1541,154 and 1523 was tampered with by the revenue officials Abid Hussain Ptwari and Iqbal Girdawar and replaced Part Sarkars which subsequently on the basis of forged documents further mutations No 5,888 and 5,887 were passed through which 1,000 kanals were sold to a private person in Mauza Shadi Khan Munda. The commissioner declared the mutations No 1481, 1523, 1541 and 1545 as bogus and forged. His order was challenged before the member judicial and member judicial-I who upheld the order of commissioner. All those forged/bogus mutations were cancelled as well as all the subsequent mutations passed on the basis of those forged mutations,’ the handout stated.

It stated that during inquiry it was revealed that local land owners of mauza Patti Sayal submitted an application before the district officer of revenue for the restoration of their acquired lands in TDA being in ‘Adna’ category as the same was not to be acquired under TDA Act.

“Report was called from revenue filed staff and the then Patwari Muhammad Afzal stated that the nature of acquired land was basically ‘Adna’. Afterwards, the DOR namely Abdul Hameed Durrani Muzaffargarh ordered on Dec 12, 2003 that the land acquired was “Adna” and restoration of the acquired land back to land owners as “Sehat Indiraj” be made,” it said.

It stated that the implementation of that order was presented before the Kot Addu assistant commissioner who objected that this was a badly time barred and could not be implemented. Against this order, the land owners approached the EDOR Muzaffargarh in appeal Subsequently, the then EDOR Wasim Shamshad without going into the merits of case allowed revisions petitions in contradiction of the TDA record which resulted into allotment of 13,000 kanals illegally to them.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2018