Lahore court indicts Jang editor, 2 others in land allotment case

Published January 28, 2021
Editor-in-chief of Jang group Mir Shakilur Rahman. — DawnNewsTV/File
Editor-in-chief of Jang group Mir Shakilur Rahman. — DawnNewsTV/File

An accountability court in Lahore on Thursday indicted Jang Editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rahman and two others in a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference pertaining to a 34-year-old “illegal land allotment” in his favour, that was allegedly manipulated by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Accountability court Judge Asad Ali presided over the hearing in which two other accused in the reference were also present in the court, former director general of Lahore Development Authority Humayon Faiz Rasool and its former director of land development department Mian Bashir Ahmad.

All three accused pleaded not guilty to the charges after which the court ordered NAB to summon its witnesses to record their statements at the next hearing on February 16.

Rahman was arrested in March 2020 by NAB after he had failed to satisfy their answers in a hearing regarding the case.

The NAB land allotment reference had alleged that Rahman had illegally obtained exemption of 54 plots in 1986, each measuring one-kanal, situated in Block-H, Johar Town. It alleged that the allotment of the land had been made in connivance with the then chief minister of Punjab, Nawaz Sharif, against the exemption policy and the laws for monetary gains.

It further said the suspects had caused a loss of Rs143.53 million to the national exchequer through the land allotment in violation of exemption policy.

Rahman was granted bail by the Supreme Court in November 2020 after months in jail while PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif — the fourth accused in the case — was declared an absconder by the accountability court and perpetual arrest warrants were issued for him in the same month.

Opinion

Editorial

Hasty transition
Updated 05 May, 2024

Hasty transition

Ostensibly, the aim is to exert greater control over social media and to gain more power to crack down on activists, dissidents and journalists.
One small step…
05 May, 2024

One small step…

THERE is some good news for the nation from the heavens above. On Friday, Pakistan managed to dispatch a lunar...
Not out of the woods
05 May, 2024

Not out of the woods

PAKISTAN’S economic vitals might be showing some signs of improvement, but the country is not yet out of danger....
Rigging claims
Updated 04 May, 2024

Rigging claims

The PTI’s allegations are not new; most elections in Pakistan have been controversial, and it is almost a given that results will be challenged by the losing side.
Gaza’s wasteland
04 May, 2024

Gaza’s wasteland

SINCE the start of hostilities on Oct 7, Israel has put in ceaseless efforts to depopulate Gaza, and make the Strip...
Housing scams
04 May, 2024

Housing scams

THE story of illegal housing schemes in Punjab is the story of greed, corruption and plunder. Major players in these...