TAXILA: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) booked 18 people including five officials of the revenue department by fraudulently transferring and selling the land of an expat Pakistani.

According to Anti Corruption Establishment (ACE) deputy director Amjad Shahzad, land, worth over Rs100 million, located in Peerdad, Adalzai and Gheershen villages and fell in the revenue limits of Hassanabdal, was owned by local landlord Mansab Khan.

He said Mr Khan died in 1972 while this precious land located at the crossroads of different developing housing societies was inherited by his son who had been settled in Australia.

Local land grabbers have got the land transferred through bogus power of attorney and attestation from foreign office.

He said when the sons of Mr Khan including Mohammed Ashraf came to Pakistan to see their forefather’s land, it was illegally occupied by local land grabbers and they were threatened of dire consequences if they tried to retrieve the land.

As the expats have lodged the complaints at various forums, the matter was investigated and probed by Anti Corruption Establishment (ACE) which found the whole process of land transfer as fraud.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2021