BAHAWALNAGAR: The Anti Corruption Establishment (ACE) has booked six persons, including a nephew and official spokesperson of a ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) provincial minister, on charges of attempting to grab a 13-acre piece of land through a fake Nikahnama (marriage certificate).

In the FIR number 05/21 registered with the ACE police station, Bahawalpur, the complainant, Haji Muhammad, of Mauza Qalandar Bodla, Mcleod Ganj, stated that his father Shah Muhammad Bodla owned 13 acres, 3 kanal and 19 marla land.

He said his father died and 21 days after his death, Union Council Chairman Umar Zaman Laleka (nephew of provincial minister Shaukat Laleka), Nikah khwan Aleemullah Sami and UC 25, Kabootri, secretary Javed Ahmed, prepared a fake marriage certificate, showing that the deceased had married a woman, Noor Begum.

The FIR said the fake marriage certificate had names of Muhammad Iqbal and Akbar Shah as witnesses.

The FIR said the fake certificate was presented in the office of Bahawalnagar additional deputy commissioner (ADC) to get his father’s land illegally transferred.

The FIR said on Haji’s complaint Bahawalpur ACE Headquarters Circle Officer Abdul Qayyum conducted a probe into the matter and declared the suspects guilty in his report.

When contacted, Umar Laleka denied his involvement in the matter. He said the procedure related to marriage certificate was conducted by the UC secretary and the Nikah Khwan, while the chairman had no direct role in it.

He claimed that he was being politically victimised and that he had presented his clarification to the concerned officials, hoping his name would be soon omitted from the FIR.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2021