MULTAN: Commissioner Nadim Irshad Kayani directed all deputy commissioners (DCs) of the division to take legal action against touts active in the revenue department.

A special report regarding the activities of ‘tout mafia’ in the revenue department of Multan region, which mentions 45 private people as well as government employees, was prepared by the special branch of police. The commissioner attached copies of the report with his letter to the DCs and additional deputy commissioners (revenue) of the region.

In the letter dated Sept 18 that was received by the DCs on Sunday, the commissioner directed the officials to look into the matter and take necessary legal action. The report carries names of 19 touts from Multan and 13 each from Vehari and Lodhran districts. Six people were part of Multan tehsil out of whom five were employees of the DC office.

The report stated that Zeeshan Shah alias Shah Ji was working as a tout in the land registration branch for around three decades and possessed assets amounting to millions of rupees. He is known for tampering with records. Shah blackmailed the public and took bribes from them for submitting their documents with the land record centre; he was also involved in record tampering that even led to a murder in Gulgasht Colony. He also charged hefty amounts for transfer of old registered land deeds.

The report further mentioned clerk Taimoor who acted as a middleman for receiving money for officers. Naib Qasid Nisar Ahmad received bribe for all types of deeds while Yousaf, the head clerk at general branch, also charged heavily by blackmailing complainants.

On Sept 15, Abdul Rashid, a resident of Tower Wali Galli in a katchi abadi, submitted an application to DC Mudassir Riaz Malik stating that sub-registrar at the city branch of land registration centre, Imran Shams, demanded bribes from people.

The officer raised unnecessary objections even over correct deeds to mint money and had appointed Shah to clear the deeds over which he raised objections. Shah received bribes on behalf of the sub-registrar to clear the deeds or record statements of the parties involved.

Rashid stated that on Sept 11, he went to record his statement to the sub-registrar’s office regarding the sale of his house. The officer objected to the sale deed that it was from the Multan Development Authority and should be verified from the registration branch’s record room first. He said that despite having his objections cleared, the sub-registrar refused to record his statement and asked him to contact Shah.

He further said that Shah told him that his statement would not be recorded without a bribe. He also alleged that hundreds of deeds over which Mr Shams raised objections were lying at his residence and he was receiving bribe through Shah to clear those deeds.

As soon as the DC received the complaint, he reached the land registration branch, but the matter was hushed up, he alleged.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2018