RAWALPINDI: A land dispute between relatives of two cabinet members in Gujar Khan tehsil forced the Punjab government to direct the Rawalpindi divisional commissioner to settle the issue as soon as possible and submit a report.

The provincial government also transferred two senior officers of the district administration. However, another senior officer said the land dispute was not the main reason which led to the transfer of the two officials as there were three more administrative issues.

Deputy Commissioner Saifullah Dogar and Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Rizwan Qadeer were made officers on special duty (OSD) on Tuesday.

The government appointed retired Capt Anwarul Haq as the deputy commissioner, who immediately took charge. However, the new additional deputy commissioner revenue is yet to be appointed.

Though no reason was cited for the transfer of the two officials in a notification issued by Chief Secretary retired Maj Azam Suleman Khan, there were reports that the dispute between relatives of the two politicians was the main reason.

Punjab govt asks commissioner to resolve issue and submit report

“The recent action of the district administration to retrieve state land measuring 67 kanals from PML-N Senator Chaudhry Tanveer’s possession and identification of encroached land by some private housing societies in Kotha Kalan union council were also one of the main reasons behind the transfer of the two officials,” a senior official of the district administration told Dawn.

However, he said, the situation went from bad to worse after the issue of the land dispute between relatives of the two members of the federal cabinet erupted.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister Shahzad Akbar’s brother Murad Akbar on April 13, 2005, bought 17 marlas from Khasra number 473, Muaza Bucha, Gujar Khan tehsil located on G.T. Road.

He also bought another 23 marlas from the same Khasra on June 9, 2008

In 2009, he filed an application with the revenue office of Gujar Khan for partition and possession of the land.

On the other hand, Jawad Malik, a relative of Federal Minister Mohammadmian Soomro, owned a piece of land in the same Khasra number.

“Basically, Murad Akbar bought land from the share of the property of a relative of Jawad Malik and the dispute started after he (Mr Akbar) started constructing a boundary wall last week,” he said.

Mr Akbar got demarcated the land on Jan 13 and submitted a report to the tehsil office Gujar Khan before starting the construction work.

On Jan 17 when labourers were constructing the boundary wall on Mr Akbar’s land, Mr Malik objected and the matter was referred to the Mandra police who referred it to the land revenue department.

The third issue was Pakistan Railways land encroached in Kotha Kalan near Bahria Town along Soan River.

According to officials, 127 kanals of the railway had been identified in Kotha Kalan.

The revenue department led by the additional deputy commissioner (revenue) prepared a list to get the land vacated. However, the current holders of the land took the case to court.

However, Rawalpindi Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood denied the reports circulating in the media and said the transfer and posting of the district head was a routine administrative matter.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2020