BAHAWALNAGAR: A case was registered on Saturday against 17 people, including a PML-N MNA, besides the husband of a party leader, for alleged illegal occupation of thousands of acres of land belonging to the provincial irrigation department.

Two officials of the revenue and finance departments have also been nominated in the case for helping influential people in occupying the land, while a probe has also been initiated against field officers of the irrigation department

On the report of Bahawalnagar Anti-Corruption Deputy Director (Investigations) Shamsuddin Khan about “illegal occupation of government land” in the Pand area of Chishtian by influential people, revenue officials concerned and Bahawalnagar Anti Corruption Establishment officials carried out a joint operation.

As a result, a total of 1,401 acres of government land was retrieved, while a case was registered against 17 people, including PML-N MNA from NA-168 Ehsanul Haq Bajwa and Muhammad Umer Arshad, who is husband of ‘N’ leader Ms Maiza Hameed.

A former patwari, Muhammad Ramzan, and ex-tehsildar (Chishtian) Ajmal Saifullah were also booked for connivance in the illegal land occupation.

According to the ACE report, the government land was illegally allotted to the occupants through forged documents prepared in connivance with the local officials of revenue and irrigation departments.

The report added that MNA Bajwa allegedly used the land for farming through forged lease documents, while he also illegally occupied 83 acres of an adjacent piece of land.

The report said because of the illegal land occupation for several years, the government exchequer had lost millions of rupees every year.

After being retrieved, the land had been returned to the irrigation department and an inquiry was initiated against the government officials involved.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2019