FAISALABAD, Aug 1: Following instructions of the Punjab government, DPO Zafar Abbas Lak has formally moved the Revenue Department for the re-transfer of land in favour of its original owner, which was purchased to develop a police housing society.
According to official sources, Zafar Abbas Lak withdrew an amount of Rs26 million from the Police Welfare Funds (PWF) illegally for making payment to Abdul Hameed Puri, the owner.
However, it is yet not clear that Rs1.3 million, also paid out of the PWF for the purchase of stamp-papers for getting the transfer rights in favour of the Police Welfare Society, will be retrieved. Besides this a substantial amount, spent out of the PWF for various developmental purposes at the site of police housing society, went down the drain.
Zafar Abbas Lak had manoeuvred registration of transfer rights of 1,676 marlas of land in favour of the Faisalabad Police Welfare Society without fulfilling the codal requirements after paying a huge amount of Rs26 million to Abdul Hameed Puri, besides paying Rs1.3 million on account of stamp duty.
The DPO faced an inquiry after the publication of news about the abuse of powers and violation of prescribed rules with regard to purchase of land as well as developing the housing for the police personnel.
Punjab IGP Syed Masood Shah had appointed a two-member fact-finding committee comprising Additional IG Khalid Latif and DIG (Welfare) Javed Noor to ascertain justification and process adopted by the DPO for the formation of this scheme. The DPO failed to satisfy the committee about the payment of Rs16 million which he had already paid to land owners.
On receipt of the fact-finding committee’s report, the IGP formally constituted a regular inquiry committee under Additional IGP, Special Branch, Saadatullah Khan, CID DIG Tariq Khosa, Development AIG Khan Beg and Finance AIG Asghar Raza Gardezi.
The regular inquiry committee also held guilty Zafar Abbas Lak for abusing powers, purchasing land on higher prices and without fulfilling the codal requirements, violating the instructions of his superiors and striking a ‘shady deal’ with the land owner. The preliminary committee also asked the DPO to suspend all working on the plan till the completion of the report.
There is no legislation or statute available permitting any police officer to develop such a housing scheme. Neither such activities nor functions fall under the preview of the Police Ordinance 2001, and the Police Rules.
When the report of regular committee appeared in a section of the press, the provincial government relieved senior police officials — Khalid Latif, Tariq Masood Khosa and Javed Noor — and asked them to report to the federal government.
This order shocked the police hierarchy in the province who expressed their resentment. To pacify the anguish of senior police officers, the Punjab government made Zafar Abbas Lak OSD on July 23.
It is interesting to note here that all the three senior police officials had been relieved from the Punjab and forced to report to the Establishment Division for further orders. But, Zafar Abbas Lak is till holding the charge of the Faisalabad DPO and passing orders of postings of police officials, including SHOs, and taking disciplinary action against his subordinates.
The provincial government has again forced Zafar Abbas Lak for getting back the amount from the landlord and deposit the same with the Police Welfare Funds.
This fund, according to police sources, is reportedly meant only for welfare-oriented activities of police subordinates like payment for those police personnel who died during encounters or on duty by accidents or grants in case of disability, marriages of kids and education.