ISLAMABAD: The late 2008 ANP government operation, to repossess 6,049 kanals of agriculture department land in Dera Ismail Khan, illegally grabbed by men closely associated with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, was an eyewash as sources have revealed that the land continues to be in the possession of the same persons who in fact have grabbed another 500-600 kanals.
It was claimed on the television screens by the provincial agriculture and revenue department officials in November 2008 that the land leased out to the JUI-F men during MMA’s regime, which was later cancelled, had been retrieved.
Credible sources in the provincial government, however, said that it was all an eye-wash as within days and weeks of what was shown to the whole world in November 2008, the same state-land was given back to the men of the Maulana.
These sources said the authorities in DI Khan had confirmed that not only 6,049 kanals of land continues to be in the possession of the same people but an additional 500-600 kanals of agriculture department land has been encroached by the same occupants.
Officials of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa agriculture department, police and revenue department DI Khan had jointly launched a crackdown in November 2008 to get back the possession of the said land, which was leased out to several people associated with Fazlur Rehman, in 2006 but cancelled the following year.
Those in whose names the lease was signed for a period of ten years for just Rs200 per kanal per year include personal staff of Fazlur Rehman and his brother Maulana Lutfur Rehman, their relatives and party men and cousin of former Chief Minister Akram Durrani.
However, despite the cancellation order, the land, which was used by the agriculture department for their seeds farm, was never returned to the provincial government as the Maulana’s men got a stay order from a civil court and continued with its possession.
The stay order was vacated on October 28, 2008 following which the officials of agriculture, police and revenue departments launched the operation to get back the possession of the land.
In the said operation, the land was successfully retrieved but after the issue got off the media’s focus, it was conveniently given back to the possession of the same people, who later got a favourable stay order from a lower court.
It was reported that in violation of the lease policy, approved by the Frontier government in December 2001, a total of 6,049 kanals of land mostly consisting of land in possession of agriculture department and used for seed farms in four different Mouzas — Ratta Kulachi, Rakh Zandani, Khutti and Rakh Mahra Prova — was given on lease to 11 men in mid 2006 on Rs200 per kanal per year.
Those given the said land on lease included Sharifullah, son of Rehmatullah, who was PA to Lutfur Rehman and was also allotted 200 kanals of military land; Haji Obaidullah, son of Haji Rehmatullah, reportedly brother of Sharifullah; Muhammad Altaf, son of Obaidullah, reportedly nephew of Sharifullah; Muhammad Ashraf, son of Shahzad Khan, PA to Lutfur Rehman; Adam Khan, cousin of former chief minister Akram Durrani and son of Shahzada Khan, who was also allotted 200 kanals of military land under possession of Durrani; Haq Nawaz, a JUI-F supporter and father of reader tehsildar Dera; Alamgir, son of Raza Khan, a JUI-F activist; Haji Mian Khan, son of Haji Sultan Muhammad, reportedly from Loralai, Balochistan and also associated with the Maulana; Haji Shahzai, son of Haji Sultan Muhammad and brother of Haji Mian Khan; and Samiullah, son of Haji Fazal Dad.
When the leasing of the land was under process there was a considerable opposition from within the bureaucracy but nothing stopped the land from being leased out to the favourites on throwaway prices. A deputy secretary of the Board of Revenue also wrote a letter to district officer revenue DI Khan directing him not to transfer the area and possession but these instructions were ignored.
Because of bureaucracy’s continued opposition to this controversial leasing out of the land including to non-locals in violation of the lease policy and on throwaway prices, provincial secretary Board of Revenue had issued a cancellation order of the lease. The operative part of the letter read as, “I am directed to inform that lease of land to the following persons vide communication noted against each are hereby cancelled on the recommendation of the committee on the ground that the land in question was utilised by the Agriculture Department for their seed farms which is still required by them for the said purpose.” The said cancellation order was issued on July 4, 2007 when the JUI-F government was in power in the Frontier province.
However, despite the said order the land remained in the possession of the controversial lessees, who got a stay from the civil court against the cancellation order, which was finally vacated on OCT 28, 2008.
The reported case of 1,200 kanals of military land, said to be in possession of Fazlur Rehman and Akram Khan Durrani, is different as this land belonged to the Pakistan Army and formally transferred to six men, closely associated with these top JUI-F leaders.
