Nawaz allotted 1,352 plots illegally: Buzdar

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has disclosed that during the tenure of former chief minister Nawaz Sharif, 1352 plots worth billions of rupees were illegally given to one Senator, 16 assembly members and their relatives in different LDA schemes in Lahore.

These plots were distributed in violation of rules under the discretionary quota. As many as 646 plots were distributed in Johar Town, 260 in Sabzazar, 191 in Tajpura, 108 in Gujjarpura, 37 in Allama Iqbal Town, 32 in Model Town, 31 in Faisal Town and five in Gulberg and the discretionary quota was violated. These plots were meant for orphans, widows, journalists, Ulema and sports players but this right of discretion was used for political bribery.

The incumbent government has directed the ACE to investigate the illegal allotment of plots in different LDA schemes. Action will be taken against illegal beneficiaries as well as those who had illegally allotted such plots. Indiscriminate action will be initiated against those found involved in illegal activities and no leniency will be shown. The CM stated this while addressing a press conference at his office on Thursday. PM’s Accountability Advisor Shehzad Akbar and SACM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan were present.

Giving the details, the CM said Nawaz Sharif illegally allotted the plots worth billions of rupees during his tenure as chief minister from 1985 to 90.

These plots were allotted in violation of the discretionary quota and Qamar-uz-Zaman Khan played an important role in the illegal allotment of these plots. Qamar-uz-Zaman was an employee of the Malaria Control Programme; and from there, he was appointed as DG LDA by Nawaz Sharif. Then he was posted as private secretary to PM Nawaz Sharif in 1997. He was also deputed as political secretary to CM Shahbaz Sharif in 2008.

Qamar-uz-Zaman illegally allotted precious plots to political personalities and public representatives in Lahore and violated merit as the front man. MPA Raja Ishfaq Sarwar (late) was illegally allotted 14 plots, he added. The CM said the ACE has been directed to take legal action. Laws were blatantly violated in the past but the incumbent government will ensure the supremacy of rule of law and transparency will be maintained because it is the new Pakistan of PM Imran Khan and no one will be allowed to do any illegal activity. The PTI has come into power to serve the masses, he emphasized. Regrettably, the CM deplored that no past government took any action over the illegal allotment of plots in different LDA schemes. Rather, this huge political bribery was hushed up, he said. Meanwhile, the PTI government has adopted transparency and past corruption has been exposed as the government fully believes in the rule of law and transparency. Action will be initiated against all such illegal acts, he assured.

The CM stated that discretionary powers are not used by the incumbent government and not a single inch of state land has been allotted to anybody over political affiliation. Replying to a question, the CM asserted that not only recovery will be made but penalties will also be recovered from the illegal beneficiaries. Retrieval of state land is not a temporal act but a permanent process and no one will be allowed to grab the state land, he added.

To another question, the CM said a Rs 7 billion Ramazan Package will be given to provide relief through a network of more than 300 Sahulat Bazaars. The rates of different items will be according to 2018. To another question, he assured retrieving land in the journalists colony and said action will be initiated against those involved in illegal acts. The journalists will be given their rights, he assured. The CM disclosed that preparations are under way for local bodies elections and announced action after an inquiry into LWMC affairs. No illegal activity will be tolerated, he emphasized.

Shehzad Akbar said politics means public service now and emphasized that the style of Changa Manga and mafias will not be allowed to work. Those who came into power through non-party 1985 elections hijacked the politics and indulged in the spate of corruption. These are the people who never took food from their homes and blatantly wasted public resources. He congratulated Buzdar and his team for disclosing mega corruption and announced that disciplinary action will be taken for illegally allotted plots. Recovery will be made to eke out good results, he added.

To a question, he said Raja Ishfaq Sarwar got 14 plots and Khizar Hayat, Mehmood-ul-Hassan and others also made hay while the sun shined. He disclosed that around 2,000 plots were allotted during the CMship of Nawaz Sharif and out of it, 1352 plots were illegally allotted. This illegal allotment was hushed up from 1990 till today. The PTI government has freed institutions from political pressure to help them perform independently. The Punjab government retrieved around one lakh and 46 thousand acres state land worth Rs 425 billion from squatters. He said the PTI government believes in transparency and this process will be permanently continued. SMBR, DG LDA, secretary Information, DGPR and others were present.