Probe into park land grabbing begins

LAHORE:Anti-Corruption Punjab Lahore Region-A has started investigation against land mafia that had illegally occupied the land meant for children park in a housing scheme in Johar Town Lahore, The News has learnt. According to documents available with The News, Gulshan-e-Mustafa Housing Scheme, Johar Town was approved by Lahore Development Authority (LDA) through Ch Hakim Ali etc in 1980. A piece of land measuring 10-kanal was reserved for children park and it had been used as park for many years.

The land was occupied by grabbers, including Arslan Riaz, Bilal Butt, Iftikhar Ahmad Khan and Rafi Khan and started illegal construction at the land reserved for the park, alleged the complainant in application submitted to ACE. According to complainant Muhammad Iftikhar-ud-Din, the land was grabbed by them with the connivance of LDA’s officers. Applications were submitted on every possible platform, he said.

The complainant demanded the chief minister issue direction to retrieve land from the illegal occupants. Iftikhar-ud-din alleged that a PML-N office-bearer was patronising the land mafia. When contacted, Dr Ahmad Afnan Regional Director Anti-Corruption Punjab, Lahore Region-A, said that inquiry was being held by Deputy Director ACE Imtiaz Khichhi.

The officer had called all parties, including LDA officials, the person who purchased land and complainants in his office and listened to the versions of both sides. The officer had also visited on the spot. After completion of an inquiry decision will be taken according to the law as ACE believes in zero-tolerance against corruption and mafia, he said.