RAHIM YAR KHAN: Suspected land grabbers kidnapped a man allegedly over an agricultural land dispute and later tried to burn him alive before he was recovered by police.

This was revealed by landowner Dr Khalid Mehmood at a press conference at the district press club here on Sunday.

Mr Mehmood claimed that his family inherited 27 kanal in Basti Warni, Mouza Shahgarh but influential clerics Maulvi Ahsan and Maulvi Hammadullah had sold through verbal agreements their entire land as well as several acres of the village shaamlaat land to people for millions of rupees, including the Hindus of Manghwal tribe.

When he filed an application to Deputy Commissioner Ali Shehzad, Assistant Commissioner Aitazaz Anjum sent police to get their land vacated and handed over its possession to them.

He further alleged that on Saturday Hammad, Ahsan, Humeria and another person kidnapped his associate, Shabbir Ahmed, and tried to burn him alive, but police recovered him. He also claimed that the clerics were forcing the Hindu community to claim possession of the land. There were many illegal occupants on dozens of acres of the shaamlaat land that should be vacated, he added.

Meanwhile, police registered a first information report against the suspected land grabbers, including Ahsan, Hammad, Loharkia, Humera, Akbar Nainghwal, Poran, Akram Chand, Darshan, Kareeman and a few others under sections 342, 427, 148 and 149 of PPC at Kot Samaba police station.

A counter report was filed against against Dr Mehmood, Zahid and Hanif on the application of Akbar under Section 436 of the PPC at the same police station.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2020