7.2-kanal of overseas Pakistani encroached in Jhang

JHANG: Overseas Pakistanis Commission (OPC) Punjab chapter’s commissioner has directed the Jhang district collector/deputy commissioner to take immediate action against the revenue and municipality officials over their alleged involvement in encroaching the urban land of an overseas Pakistani.

Ali Aftab Sial, an overseas Pakistani and a USA citizen, informed the OPC that he is the owner of 7.2-kanal land, situated in the urban locality of tehsil Ahmed Pur Sial.

He said that about 10 years ago, during his stay at Pakistan, his eyesight was reduced to 99 per cent because of a chronic eye decease and he was shifted back to the USA for eye treatment. Later, he was officially declared visually-impaired by the health authorities.

Sial said that a few months ago when he came back to Pakistan and visited his property site, he found that buildings and streets were constructed there. He protested that in the computerised revenue record, his urban land was intact but on the ground, it has encroached on the basis of permission granted by the local revenue and municipality officials. He said that according to the constitution, state/government functionaries were responsible to protect the property of a taxpayer and overseas Pakistani.

He said that he approached the tehsil revenue officials to get his land possession backed but to no avail because of noncooperation of the officials concerned.

The OPC Punjab chapter commissioner has forwarded the matter to Jhang DC to resolve it on urgent basis. DC Shaukat Ali has directed the Ahmed Pur Sial assistant commissioner to ensure appropriate legal action against the responsible on a priority basis.