GUJRAT: An influential land grabber has occupied a huge chunk of prime commercial land owned by an expatriate Pakistani settled in Kuwait.The expat has lodged a complaint against the grab with the police and the Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission (OPC), Lahore, but has failed to find a favourable response.

Mazhar Iqbal, a resident of Nathowal village, lodged a complaint with the Rehmania police station and OPC on March 4 that he had purchased a piece of land measuring 8 Kanal and 16 marlas along Bhimbher Road, near Model Town Housing Society, around 10 years ago where he had also got constructed a boundary wall.

However, he said an influential land grabber along with his armed men forcibly occupied the land by demolishing a portion of boundary wall and started illegal construction at the site.

In his written complaint, Iqbal alleged that the land grabber was so influential that police had not taken any action against him despite the fact the accused was hurling life threats to him and his family.

He urged the Punjab chief minister and PA speaker to take notice of this injustice and get his land vacated.

Meanwhile, the OPC has also sent the complaint to the district overseas Pakistanis committee and Gujrat police for necessary action whereas a team of Gujrat OPC and officials of land revenue department also paid a visit to the site. Police said the matter was under investigation.

Acts of land grab had increased in various parts of Gujrat as members of some influential mafia had occupied pieces of land along Alipura Road, Shah Jahangir Road and some other areas during the last few weeks.

The district administration’s anti-land grabbing cell is yet to take a concrete action against such activities in Gujrat.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2020