MULTAN: A district administration team on Monday demolished commercial buildings and a marriage hall owned by Zahid Bahar Hashmi, the son-in-law of veteran politician Javed Hashmi.

The Hashmi family, however, claimed that besides the marriage hall, two poultry farms, walls of an educational institution and a residence of the Hashmi family were also razed.

On Monday morning, the veteran politician released a footage on social media, claiming that police force was encircling his house [located in Makhdoom Rasheed] and demolishing the walls.

Hashmi, who released his video message, said he was in his city’s house and now after getting reports [about demolition] was going to his village (Makhdoom Rasheed).

According to an official handout, the district administration claimed that a crackdown on illegal construction was launched.

Handout says action against illegal constructions being taken without discrimination, political affiliation

“A crackdown on illegal commercial constructions at Mauza Gharrayala of Makhoom Rasheed area has been initiated. Assistant Commissioner Saddar Adnan Baddar led the operation. The AC stated that the marriage halls and commercial buildings which had been constructed illegally were being demolished. The approval of design of building for marriage halls was not obtained from the tehsil council. The action will be taken against all the commercial buildings which have been constructed illegally. The loss of millions was caused to the national exchequer by constructing the buildings illegally and by not paying the taxes. The action against all illegal constructions is being taken without any discrimination and political affiliation,” the AC stated.

The AC said neither any residential building was demolished nor the sanctity of boundary wall violated.

“The action against illegal constructions will continue without any discrimination,” the handout concluded.

Qasim Hashmi, the grandson of Javed Hashmi, told Dawn that not only the marriage hall was demolished but two poultry farms, boundary walls of an educational institute and Hashmi house were also razed.

Sources told this correspondent that the district administration had already been working to demolish the building infrastructure owned by the Hashmi family for over a month. They said the Saddar AC on the direction of Deputy Commissioner Ali Shahzad had on March 2 constituted a committee of revenue and auqaf departments for demarcation of the property adjacent to Darbar Hazrat Makhdoom Abdul Rasheed which is under the control of auqaf department.

The AC directed the committee to complete the demarcation [exercise] and submit a detailed report within seven days.

According to the report which was submitted to Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Tayyab Khan on March 16, there was a total of 123 acre, four kanal and 11 marla land and out of which land under the usage of government departments was 28 acre, five kanal and 18 marla. As many as 20 acre, four kanal and 13 marla area was illegally constructed (Najaiz Tameershuda Aabadi) and 12 acre, three kanal and 10 marla was under the usage of mosque, roads, pond, houses and some plots while 61 acre, six kanal and 10 marla was got vacated from illegal occupants in 2012.

PML-N District President Muhammad Bilal Butt in a statement condemned the ‘injustice’ done by the PTI government to the Hashmi family.

“The today’s act was mere political victimisation. The house, school and marriage hall of Hashmi’s daughter have been demolished while terming them the auqaf land. In fact, Makhdoom Sahib had inherited the land while the auqaf department never filed any case in this connection.”

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2021