GUJRAT: The local authorities in Sialkot demolished on Sunday a plaza containing offices of a housing society co-owned by former mayor of Sialkot Municipal Corporation (MC) Toheed Akhtar and a son of former defence minister Khwaja Asif.

The Sialkot district administration launched the operation on Sunday with heavy machinery and demolished the multi-storey building, which was being used for offices of Kent Housing Society and other commercial activities.

The administration said the building had been constructed on 13 marlas that were part of a public park in the society and registered as a government property. But the society owners developed their office and started other commercial activities illegally.

The Sialkot deputy commissioner had sent a reference to the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) for legal action against the management of the society. The ACE had registered a case in November against nine suspects, including former mayor Akhtar, his three brothers -- including one deceased – and a nephew, Khwaja Asif’s wife Musarrat, his son Asad and MC building inspector Rana Aneem under sections 409, 109, 166 of PPC and 5/2/47 PCA.

An ACE team was already conducting an investigation into the case and four of the suspects, including Akhtar, were on pre-arrest bail.

On the other hand, local PML-N leaders, including Mr Akhtar, accused the government of subjecting opposition leaders and their families to political victimisation through such tactics, as the authorities conducted the operation without prior notice.

They added that since a by-poll was scheduled in NA-75 Daska tehsil of Sialkot, the government had started targeting the PML-N to damage the party position. On Friday, a brother of the party candidate had been arrested and later released on bail on Saturday.

The management of the housing society also claimed that a huge amount of cash and other important documents could not be found after the demolition of the building.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2021