BAHAWALPUR: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Monday booked 16 officials of different government departments for alleged illegal possession of state land and government buildings built on it, for decades.

The ACE registered the caseon a complaint regarding the alleged illegal possession of land (and buildings) on the premises of the historic “Bahawalpur Toshakhana” (formerly state guest house) of the defunct Bahawalpur State.

Dawn has learnt through official sources that there were 16 residential quarters, built for the staffers of Toshakhanaon an area of 43 kanals. As several of the government offices were housed on the premises of Toshakhana, many of the officials occupied the residential quarters.

The sources say that officials continued to pay the rent for these residences till 1974, but later they not only stopped paying the rent, but also demolished old houses and reconstructednew structures without the approval of the competent authority. They also did not get approval for the maps of the new buildings built on the government land.

In addition, the illegal occupants allegedly also attempted to show the land worth millions of rupeesas a kachi abadi for the consolidation of their illegal possession, the sources say.

On the other hand, they say, despite complaints to this effect, the government departments, including district administration, revenue, buildings and municipal corporation, failed to take any legal action againstthe illegal occupants.

Finally, a couple of months back, the former ACE Director General Sohail Zafar Chattha, ordered legal action against the illegal occupants, after which a case was registered against the 16 “illegal” occupants.

In this connection, an investigation team comprising officials of Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan ACE has been constituted to probe into the matter.

ACE Bahawalpur Division Director Abdul Rehman Asim says the department has a zero-tolerance policyfor corruption.

BOY DROWNS: A nine-year-old boydrowned in a pond (toba) near Kala Pahar in Cholistan, about 80kms from here, while another was rescued and shifted to the hospital.

According to Rescue 1122 spokesperson, because of recent heavy rains in the area, the pond, meant for storing water for both humans and animals, was filled with rainwater.

He said that on Sunday, some local boys started playing in the pond and two of them – Riaz (9) and Jamshed (10) – inadvertently went into deep water. As a result, Riaz drowned, while Jamshed was rescued by locals in an unconscious state.

A Rescue 1122 team reaching the scene retrieved Riaz’s body and handed it over to his family, while Jamshed was shifted to the hospital.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2025