ETPB land grab report submitted to CM

LAHORE
Over 60 land squatters and property dealers of Nankana Sahib have occupied the land of Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), The News learnt here.
According to sources, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif while taking a notice of the land grabbing sought a report from the local administration of Nankana Sahib and ETPB Chairman Siddiq-ul-Farooq.
The sources added the reports had been submitted to the CM. In the report, it has been mentioned that over 60 land squatters and property dealers of different political parties occupied the ETPB land just a few weeks before the by-polls of NA-137, besides the land of ETPB Employees Housing Society spread over 60 kanals of land in Nankana Sahib worth millions of rupees. The report highlighted that the occupants occupied the land only within six days.
The sources claimed that in the report besides land grabbers and property dealers names of local journalists involved in the land grabbing have also been mentioned.
It is learnt that the occupants had attacked and injured the ETPB employees who tried to stop them from occupying the land. In protest, deputy administrator, Nankana Sahib, and around 50 employees had tendered their resignations to the board chairman.
A PML-N source told The News that PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz Sharif held a meeting with Siddiq-ul-Farooq on Wednesday and assured him that the government would vacate the board property from the land grabbers.
It is pertinent to mention here that a PPP candidate, Rai Shahjahan Bhatti, and PTI-backed independent candidate, Ijaz Shah, had told the Election Commission that the local leadership of the ruling party and the administration of the district were involved in land grabbing to win the seat which fell vacant after the death of PML-N MNA Rai Mansib Ali. The by-poll held on March 15 was won by Ms Shizra, daughter of late Rai Mansib Ali.
Talking to the media before chairing the 291st board’s meeting held on Wednesday, Siddiq-ul-Farooq claimed that he had no role in the illegal occupation of the board’s property. “I have come to ETPB as chairman to vacate the occupied land of the board”, he said and shared that he had held a meeting with PML-N leaders on the issue and the matter would be resolved soon. “The high-ups of the ruling PML-N has taken serious notice of the issue and assured me help in vacating the land of the board”, Siddiq maintained. To a question, he said so far he has not received any legal notice from former ETPB chairman Syed Asif Hashmi.
Meanwhile, Siddiq-ul-Farooq chaired the last meeting of the ongoing board as its term will end on March 28 after that a new board would be selected.
Among the members who attended the meeting included Sardar Sham Singh, Sardar Soran Singh, Mian Imran Masaud, Senior Federal Joint Secretary Muhammad Ilyas Khan, Secretary ETPB Khalid Ali, Muhammad Nawaz Tishna, Zarqa Butt, Mian Munir Ahmed, Dr Munuhar Chand, Saqlain Abbas Koreja, Muhammad Ismail Durrani, Muhammad Abbas, Ramzan Sadaqata and Sohail Raza. ETPB employees including Ch Muhammad Boota, Rana Tariq Javed, Ghulam Sarwar, Uzma Shehzadi and Secretary ETPB Khalid Ali also attended the meeting.