LAHORE: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has registered another FIR against PML-N’s Khokhar brothers and others in the land grabbing investigation.

According to an ACE spokesperson, a case has been registered against Afzal Khohar, Saiful Malook Khokhar, Aqeel Hussain, Muhammed Siddique and the revenue officials concerned for illegally grabbing and fraudulently transferring over 1,025 kanals of state land in Sheikhupura to different people.

“Aqeel Hussain, Jamil Hussain and their mother managed to get 1,025 kanals of state land in the area of Shahoki Mallian, Sheikhupura district, and fraudulently transferred in their names with the connivance of the naib tehsildar, girdawar and patwari concerned. They further transferred the land measuring 829 kanals and 13 marlas to Khokhar brothers in 2003 through exchange deed numbers 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1970. However, no land is shown or registered in the revenue record with which 829 kanals and 13 marlas have been exchanged which shows that it was a bogus exchange deed to avoid government taxes,” it said.

The ACE further said the remaining 190 kanals and 14 marlas of 1,025 kanals were transferred to multiple persons, including Basheer Ahmed, Muhammed Siddique and Sooba. The parties involved not only illegally grabbed central government land but also fraudulently got it transferred to multiple owners thus causing a huge loss to the public exchequer, it said.

ACE Director General Gohar Nafees said the revenue department had been directed to calculate and collect penal rent from beneficiaries. He said indiscriminate action was being taken against the land grabbers across the province. The ACE had also initiated a probe against the Khokhar brothers for their alleged involvement in illegal land transfer and grabbing in Lahore.

FIA: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested two jewellers for their alleged involvement in illegal business of sale and purchase of currency and money laundering.

On the direction of FIA Punjab Zone-II Director Humayun Masood Sindhu and Deputy Director Altaf Gohar Wattoo, the Bahawalpur FIA received information of violations of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act and Anti-Money Laundering Act committed by Nasir Jewellers at Fort Abbas district, Bahawalnagar. A raid was conducted and its owners Ehtsham Nasir and Shehzad Asghar were arrested.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2021