144,439 acre state land got vacated from qabza mafia so far, says Buzdar

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar Tuesday said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had so far got vacated 144,439-acre state land, worth Rs425 billion, from the qabza mafia.

Addressing a press conference at the CM Office here, he said the provincial government had launched an indiscriminate accountability process soon after coming to power. He said the government crackdown on the land grabbers and qabza mafia had been under way on the instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan from day one. He said all state institutions had exhibited bravery and courage to break the backbone of the qabza mafia.

The CM said former ruling party had set up illegal housing societies, petrol pumps, cinema houses, commercial plazas, wagon stands by occupying the state land. They were involved in tax evasion, theft of conversion fee and other taxes as well. They had committed every illegal act to weaken the national institutions, he added.

Buzdar said that the national exchequer suffered losses of billions of rupees during the previous governments as the politicians had joined hands with the corrupt elements in the institutions. He said the PTI, soon after assuming the provincial public office, freed the institutions of political interference and empowered them. These institutions got vacated state land in urban and rural areas worth more than Rs5 billion from the illegal occupation of qabza mafia. The government is implementing a zero-tolerance policy against qazba mafia and encroachments.

The CM said that the qabza mafia had been in occupation of lands of various government departments for many years including 90,516-kanal land of the Auqaf Department and 5,997-acre land of the Forest Department. Usman Buzdar said that he had issued instructions to different law enforcement agencies and secretaries of the departments concerned to launch a crackdown on the qabza mafia to vacate the state lands from illegal possession. He said that the state land being vacated would be used for public welfare, and a committee had been set up under the supervision of chief secretary Punjab for the purpose.

He said that the third wave of coronavirus had started in the country and the number of corona affectees were increasing day by day. He said that 114 centres had been set up where corona vaccine would be administered to elderly citizens. He said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) totally negated what happened in the Senate elections. He said the opponents had started propaganda against him from day one. But, he added, “I do not care opponents’ criticism for the sake of criticism. I have come to serve people as it is my only mission.”

The CM said maximum relief would be provided to people of the province and salaries of the provincial employees would also be raised. Chief Whip Punjab Assembly MPA Syed Abbas Ali Shah, Chief Secretary, Inspector General of Police, SMBR and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister were also present.