Expat kidnapped, tortured by Qabza mafia

LAHORE: An overseas Pakistani was kidnapped, subjected to torture and threatened by a qabza mafia to illegally possess his two plots in the names of his parents.

Muhammad Azam Khan, who has been living in the UK for the last 15 years, and his elder son Muhammad Shehryar Khan, who came from Europe, visited the site of two plots in the names of Azam Khan and his wife in F Block Johar Town on 27th May, 2020, for the purpose of measurement.

A man named Muhammad Nadeem approached them with his armed accomplices, including Sheikh Muhammad Sajjad, his son Abdul Qudoos Sajjad, son-in-law Jawad Hussain Adil (who pretended to be a civil judge in Islamabad at the time of the incident) and Danish and claimed ownership of the plots. On which, Shehryar asked them to show proof of ownership of the plots if they were the owner. One of the land grabbers Jawad Hussain Adil, brother of a senior police officer, introduced himself to be a civil judge in Islamabad. Sheikh Sajjad asked Shehryar to accompany him to his office so that he could show papers.

When they reached Sheikh Sajjad's office located at Johar Town Motors Club, the accused locked Muhammad Shehryar Khan inside the office. Muhammad Nadeem and Sheikh Sajjad's son Abdul Qudoos Sajjad started abusing and torturing him. Both warned him that he would be killed if he dared to visit the site.

Jawad Hussain Adil said that he himself is a civil judge and his brother Kamran Adil holds a high position in Islamabad police and the other brother belongs to a banned organisation, so if you love yourself, don't turn to plots again. He showed a fake affidavit and said that more papers would be sent on 1st June, 2020. The accused released Shehryar Khan after two-hour long illegal confinement.

On 2nd June, Muhammad Shehryar Khan returned to his plots at around 2pm and found all the persons mentioned above were already there and labourers were digging the plots. On which Shehryar Khan called the police emergency 15. As soon as the police arrived, all the land-grabbers fled the spot and the police arrested the labourers who were digging on the spot.

After the incident, Shehryar Khan filed two applications against the accused persons at Johar Town police station on the basis of which a case was registered under Sections 342/506 PPC on 27th May, 2020 and another case was registered under Sections 149/147/511/448 PPC.

According to the victims, they are receiving life threats from the accused. “What a city is this where wealth earned by hard work of the overseas Pakistanis is looted and influential people commit bullying and roam free despite the registration of FIRs. The prime minister always tells the overseas Pakistanis that they are an asset to the country but perhaps the PM does not know that this asset is being deprived of their lands and properties, Shehryar Khan remarked.

Shehryar said that in such a situation where overseas Pakistanis are sending valuable foreign exchange to their homeland while their capital is not safe here, then how can a foreign investor make investment here, and how will stay safe from these influential occupation fraud groups.

Investigating officer called the culprits on 5th June at police station and SP Investigation Sadar called the land grabbers on 6th June at his office, but they paid no heed in this regard. CCPO Lahore Zulfiqar Hameed took notice of the incident and directed the police to conduct investigation on merit and round up the culprits.