BAHAWALPUR, April 5: Several legal heirs of the late Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi on Wednesday demanded that the federal government’s states and frontier region (Safron) of the ministry of Kashmir and frontiers should hand over the historic Sadiqgarh palace to the police till its share distribution according to Shariah laws.

Sahibzada Tariq Anwar Abbasi and others told journalists that so far the areas within the Sadiqgarh palace were yet to be given to the descendents of the Bahawalpur amir. Some of the heirs, however, attempted to divide the courtyard of the palace and started to take away the trees, iron doors, arms and other costly material from the undivided premises of the palace.

The situation was brought to the notice of the authorities concerned who gave away the charge to the police to stop the illegal pilferage.

Meanwhile, Ahmedpur East Additional District and Sessions Judge Raja Muhammmad Arshad in response to an application has directed withdrawal of police guards from the Sadiqgarh palace. The order was issued on the application of Sahibzada Muhammad Usman Daud Abbasi, a former deputy speaker of Punjab assembly, and others.

Sahibzada Umar Abbasi, a district council member who is among the legal heirs of the Nawab, said at a press conference at his residence at Dera Nawab Sahib that an intrigue was going on to defame the Abbasi family by levelling the allegations.

He said there was no truth in the allegation of cutting of wood and trees from the courtyard of the deserted Sadiqgarh Palace.

He said the police with the help of heavy contingent of force and dozen of vehicles stormed into the Sadiqgarh palace where their workers were allegedly beaten up and as such we knocked at the doors of the court, which granted us stay order against police action.