Punjab cabinet approves 775 acres allotment by Musharraf

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab cabinet has approved allotment of more than 775 acres of land worth billions of rupees, meant for families of martyrs of Pakistan Army, to 47 blue-eyed key officials and government employees. Beneficiaries include cook, peon, gardeners, and a key federal secretary who has been prized by this allotment for his “services” as principal secretary to Punjab governor. The decision was taken in the Punjab cabinet’s last meeting held on April 30 in Lahore with Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in chair.

Sources say that the chief minister approved the allotment first and then placedthe matter before the cabinet as a formality. These allotments were originally made during the last spell of General Musharraf, who approved the allotment of lands either to those civilians who served him directly like his cook, peon, and gardener or who served his regime indirectly.

After the departure of the former military ruler from power in August 2008, the elected regime in Punjab led by Mian Shahbaz Sharif objected to the allotment of the land to the government officials and employees as the land was meant for the military and families of its martyrs. The then chief minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif not only suspended the allotments, but also announced that an action under the rules would be taken against those officers who got these lands.

“This matter was pending as Shahbaz Sharif did not take any action against these officers so now the matter has been resolved, and we have approved the allotments. We have also got an understanding with the Army that next time civilian officers would not be given land by them,” said provincial minister Raja Basharat when approached by this correspondent.

While investigating the matter, this correspondent also came to know that at least two members of the cabinet, including Fayazul Hassan Chohan, had objected to the approval of the summary by the cabinet, but his objection was ruled out by the chief minister.

“Who told you this? Don’t involve me in this matter, I don’t want to comment on the issue,” Punjab Information Minister Fayazul Hassan Chohan said, when he was approached for his version.

The other blue-eyed officers who were doled out by the chief minister include, among others, Personal Staff Officer to Chief Minister Amir Karim Khan, Additional Home Secretary Faisal Zahoor and Secretary Board of Revenue Ashfaq Ahmad.

These officers have been given 25 acres each. The price of 25 acres of land currently comes to Rs75 million. These state assets of more than Rs4 billion have been doled out.

Documents reveal that during the period of Pervez Musharraf, these officers got recommendations from the land branch of Army for allotment of land. The deputy commissioners of the districts, who were colleagues of the beneficiary officers, allotted land to the officers without caring that under the law this land could only be allotted to the families of martyrs and the veterans.

When Shahbaz Sharif came to know of this scam, he suspended the recipient officers of Punjab government and cancelled the land allotments. Recommendations for allotment were later withdrawn by the military land branch as well.

When the regime of Buzdar came into power in Punjab, these officers again started their efforts to get the land and procured an order for rehearing. It is intriguing to note that Sohail Shahzad, Member Board of Revenue, decided the case in favour of his colleagues only 10 days before his retirement. He took the plea the recommendations of the military land branch were indemnified by the Supreme Court and later by the Parliament. It is startling that Usman Buzdar was clearly told in writing by the Board of Revenue that the contention on which Sohail Shahzad, Member Board of Revenue, had based his decision was fallacious. It is a common knowledge that the indemnity provided under the Tikka Iqbal case was to the actions of chief executive and not to the recommendations of military land branch.

Even that indemnity was nullified by a 14-judge bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, headed by Chief Justice Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmad in the famous PCO judges case. Similarly, the indemnity of Parliament given in 17th Constitutional Amendment was curtailed to actions taken before 31st, December, 2003, as is evident from Article 270 AA of Constitution of Pakistan.

List: Name of District; Name of Officer/Official to whom land was allotted; Area allotted

Pakpattan

Khawar Javaid Anjum s/o Ghulam Hussain, Patwari, 65 kanal 14 marlas in Chak No. CIXB and 89D, Tehsil and district Pakpattan

Khanewal

Rana Muhammad Hanif, Ex-Senior Clerk, 100-Kanal 66/10-R & 65/10-R

Mushtaq Anjum s/o Abdul Aziz, (Ex-PSC/BS-19) Ex-DLR, Board of Revenue, Punjab, 200-Kanal Zakheera

Muhammad Azam khan, (Ex-PSC/ BS-18), Ex-DOR, Lodhran, 200 Kanal Zakheera

Qamar Abbas Sultan, s/o Ghulam Hussain, Ex-Assistant Director (M&A), Board of Revenue, Punjab, 200-Kanal Zakheera

Ghurlam Farid Langrial s/o Atta Muhammad, 200-Kanal Zakheera

Malik Muhammad Qasim s/o Malik Noor Muhammad, Ex-HVC to DOR, Khanewal, 100-Kanal Zakheera

Syed Imtiaz Hussein Shah s/o Syed Fida Hussain Shah (DMG), PD ABAD, Rawalpindi, 200-K Zakheera, Tehsil Khanewal

Muhammad Zafar Ali s/o Muhammad Ibrahim, Tehsildar, 100-K Zakheera, Khanewal

Liaqat Ali Javed s/o Kabir Ali, Senior Clerk, 100-K Zakheera, Tehsil Khanewal

Muhammad Zahid Ikram s/o Muhammad Ikram, ex-PCS, Ex-DDOR, Khanewal, 200-K Zakheera, Tehsil Khanewal

Sikandar Ali Bokhari s/o Abdul Raheem Bukhari, Ex-PCS, Ex DDO General, Khanewal, 200-K Zakheera, Tehsil Khanewal

Muhammad Waseem Akhtar s/o Bilbar Hussain Bhatti, ex-Patwari Mauza Zakheera, 100-K Zakheera, Tehsil Khanewal

Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera, DMG Principal Secretary to Governor, Punjab, 200-K, Mauza Zakheera, Tehsil Khanewal

Muhammad Iqbal s/o Muhammad Aslam, Kanongoo Circle Tehsil Khanewal, 100-K, Mauza Zakheera, Tehsil Khanewal

Sahiwal

Khawar Javaid Anjum s/o Ghulam Hussain, Patwari, 44-k, 9-m, chak no 73/51, district Sahiwal

Rahim Yar Khan

Syed Najaf Abbas Bokhari s/o Syed Ghulam Abbas Shah, Ex-EDOR, Lodhran, 200-K Chak No 98P

Ashraf Ali Shah s/o Syed Muhammad Iqbal Shah, Patwari, 100-K, Mauza Daulatabad, Tehsil Sadiqabad

Muzaffargarh

Malik Muhammad Ramzan Ex-DDOR, Kol Addu, 200-K in Chak No 693/TDA

Riaz Ahmad, Ex-Head Clerk Colony, 100-K Chak No. Rakh Hamzywali, Amjad Babar, Ex-Superintendent Colony Branch, Board of Revenue (BOR), Punjab, 100-K Chak No, Rakh Hamzay Wali

Atta-ur-Rehman, Ex-PS to Member (Colonies), BOR, 100-K Chak No, Rakh Hamzay Wali

Rashid Habib, Ex-Assistant, Colony Branch, BOR, Punjab, 100-K Chak No, Rakh Hamzay Wali

Ghulam Sarwar, ex-Patwari Halqa Aziz Abad, 100-K, Chak No 137-ML

Muhammad Ashraf Yousfi, Ex-PCS, ex-EDOCD, Muzaffargarh, 200-K, (i) 100-K, Rakh Hamzay Wali, (ii) 100-K, Chak No. 140/ML

Ameer Hussain, Ex-Colony Clerk, 100-K, Mauza Sadiqabad, Tehsil Kot Addu,

Bahawalnagar

Ch. Abdul Ghafoor Virk, ex-PCS, DOR, Bahawalnagar Retd), 200-K, Chak No. 118/6-R, Tehsil Haroonabad

Dur Muhammad Khan, ex-PCS, DDO(R), Fortabbas (Retd)., 200-K, Chak No. 173/7-R, Tehsil Fortabbas

Irshad Mohy Ud Din, ex-PCS, Ex-DOR, Bahawalnagar, 200-K, Chak No. 118/6-R, Tehsil Haroonabad

Mian Muhammad Akram, ex-Tehsildar, Fortabbas, 100-K, Chak No. 295/A/HR, Tehsil Fortabbas

Syed Munawar Hussein Shah, ex-Patwari, 100-K, Chak No. 295/A/HR, Tehsil Fortabbas

Syed Aqib Hussain Shah, Head Draftsman, Irrigation Department, 100-K, Chak No. 432/5-R, Haroonabad

Noor Hussein, ex- Naib Qasid Aiwan-e-Sadar, Army House, 100-K, Chak No. 200/8-R, Haroonabad

Mahmood Hussain, Naib-Qasid, Aiwan-e-Sadar, Army House, 100-K, Chak No. 200/8-R, Haroonabad

Ghulam Rasool, Mali, Aiwan-e-Sadar, Army House, 100-K, Chak No. 224/8-R, Haroonabad

Muhammad Sikandar, Civil Cook, Aiwan-e-Sadr, Army House, 100-K, Chak No. 295/A/HR, Haroonabad

Muhammad Irshad, 100-K, Chak No. 295/A/HR, Tehsil Fortabbas; Sub-Inspector Rangers Abdul Ahsan, 100-K, Chak No. 295/A/HR, Tehsil Fortabbas; Qasid, Aiwan-e-Sadar/ Army House. Bahawalpur: Syed Zahid Hussein Jillani, (ex-PCS/ BS-18), 200-K, Nawaz Abad, Bahawalpur - Ex-DDO(R), Bahawalpur (Under Suspension). Dr Faisel Zahoor (DMG/ BS-18), 200-K, Chak No. 64/DO, Yazman - Ex-DO(R), Bahawalpur, now DS, Schools Education Department. Mr. Muhammad Ashfaq (ex-PCS/BS-17), 200-K, Chak No. 26/DNB, Tehsil Yazman - Ex-DDO(R), Yazman, now DDO(R), Lodhran. Muhammad Akram Bhatti (ex-PCS/BS-17), 200-K, Chak No. 64/DB, Tehsil Yazman, District Bahawalpur - Ex-DDO(R), Yazman, now DDO(R), Khanpur. Amir Karim Khan (ex-PCS/BS-17), 200-K, Chak No. 83/F & 84/F, Tehsil Hasilpur, District Bahawalpur - Ex-DDO(R), Hasilpur, now DDO(R), Depalpur, District Okara. 6) Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad Gill, 200-K, Nawazabad, Bahawalpur - Project Director, OFWM, Bahawalpur. Muhammad Amjad, 100-K, Chak No. 162/M, Tehsil Hasilpur - ex-Colony Clerk, Bahawalpur. Muzaffar Alam, 100-K, Chak No. 64/DO, Tehsil Yazman - Patwari, Tehsil Yazman.