Citizen’s life miserable after pointing out state land capture

LAHORE: A man’s life has been made miserable by his neighbour when he filed a complaint against him with regard to occupying the state land in GOR II, Lahore.

Victim Umar Draz, son of Khushi Muhammad, serves as a computer operator in Punjab Finance Department, Civil Secretariat, Lahore. He was harassed by the Anti-Corruption Establishment through fake applications, and fake criminal cases were registered against him in two districts of Punjab, Lahore and Sheikhupura.

Umar Draz along with his mother, wife and three children lives in Bagh Gul Begum, which is linked with GOR-II, Lahore, in a house purchased by his father from BOR. Four brothers named Abu Hurraira, excise inspector, Adil, inspector 1122, Bilal and Abu Bakar happen to be his neighbours. They paid some money to the neighbours, Muhammad Munir and Nazar Muhammad’s family, and started occupying the property of Evacuee Trust Property Board.

Umar asked Abu Hurraira and his brothers not to cover one marla from his property. But they fixed a gate on the street to ensure the occupation and forced him to close his windows on that side of the street. He submitted an application in the office of DC Lahore against him on illegal occupation of state land dated on October 27,2020.

According to the application, Abu Hurriara and his brothers were involved in illegally occupying the state land. SOPs of Board of Revenue’s notification had not been followed for implementing the mutation in respect of Muhammad Hussain (Abu Hurraria’s father) and Muhammad Nazir, unidentified. PTD/TD had been issued without prior approval of Notify Member Board of Revenue. Muhammad Nazir and his family did not exist on this land. How PTD was issued in respect of the said person? The PTD had been made with the collaboration of field staff of BOR. Litigation of aforesaid state land was in process in courts between Punjab government and Abu Hurriara then how implementation of mutation had been made?"

Umar said that Abu Hurriara and his family had covered approximately 2 kanals, and DC field staff had not released the state land (according to patwari report). He said that he was neither called for evidence nor his case was referred to BOR for examination.

Umar’s complaint against Abu Hurraira proved to be tight noose around his neck. On Oct 30, 2020, one Husnain Azhar and his cousin Faisal Imran submitted an application against Umar Draz in Riwaz Garden police chowki that he had got money from his cousin for government job. The application was found to be false.

On Oct 31, 2020, Abu Hurraria and his brother Adil submitted a complaint against him that he had threatened them with arms. The Old Anarkali DSP heard both the parties and found that no such incident had taken place.

Abu Hurraira got a case (No.330/21) registered against Umar Draz at Lytton Road police station which was quashed. Ferozwala police came to his house and informed him that he was a suspect in a case registered under Section 365 PPC two years ago.

Police took him to Ferozwala and allowed him to go home after seven hours. Police received Rs 25,000 from Umar as bribe.

Lytton Road police also nominated him in a supplementary statement of an FIR (No.908/20) on the complaint of one Faisal Imran under Sections 440/427 PPC. Umar was exonerated from charges. On June 12, 2021, Sheikhupura A Division police picked him up in an FIR (No.339/21) registered against him under Sections 506 B on the directions of court. The FIR was quashed. Faisal Imran also filed a fake complaint against Umar Draz at the office of Punjab Ombudsman which was disposed of.

Umar was also allegedly kidnapped by Faisal Imran and lawyers from a court premises where he had gone on May 8, 2021 for interim bails in two cases registered at Lytton Road police station. Umar’s wife submitted an application at Islampura police station for registering a kidnapping case, but no FIR has been registered till to date.

Umar Draz has appealed to the chief justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan, Anti-Corruption Establishment DG, Excise DG, CCPO Lahore and Sheikhupura RPO to look into the matter as his life has been ruined by his influential neighbors intending to occupy state land through coercive measures.

Abu Hurraira was reluctant to respond when he was contacted and told that his neighbour had levelled allegations against him with regard to occupying the state land and implicating him in false cases, upon which, he remained tight-lipped. Abu Hurraira said he was driving, and advised this correspondent to meet him in person and then he can give his point of view.