LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar Thursday disclosed that during the tenure of former Chief Minister Nawaz Sharif, as many as 1352 plots worth billions of rupees were illegally allotted to parliamentarians and the relatives in violation of the discretionary quota.
“These plots were given to one senator, 16 assembly members and their relatives in different LDA schemes in Lahore,” he said while addressing a press conference at his office on Thursday. PM’s accountability advisor Barrister Shehzad Akbar and SACM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan were also present.
Giving the details, the chief minister said that Nawaz Sharif illegally allotted plots worth billions of rupees during his tenure of chief ministership from 1985-90 in Punjab. These plots were allotted in violation of 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 Khan illegally allotted precious plots to political personalities and public representatives in Lahore and violated merit as the frontman. MPA Raja Ishfaq Sarwar (Late) was illegally allotted 14 plots,” the chief minister elaborated.
“Out of these 1352, plots, 646 were distributed in Johar Town, 260 in Sabzazar, 191 in Tajpura, 108 in Gujjar Pura, 37 in Allama Iqbal Town, 32 in Model Town, 31 in Faisal Town and five other plots were illegally allotted in Gulberg in violation of the discretionary quota,” he informed reporters. Usman Buzdar said these plots were meant for orphans, widows, widows of martyrs, journalists, Ulema and sports players under discretion but this right of discretion was used for political bribery.
He said the incumbent government had 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,” he affirmed.
The CM said that recovery will also be made. “Laws were blatantly violated in the past, but the incumbent government will ensure supremacy of law and transparency will be maintained because it is the new Pakistan of PM Imran Khan. 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 temporary act but a permanent process and no one will be allowed to grab the state land”, he maintained.
To another question, the CM said a 7 billion Ramazan Package will be given to provide relief through a network of more than 300 Sahulat Bazaars. He assured to retrieve land in Journalist Colony saying that action will be initiated against those involved in an illegal act. “The journalists will be given their rights”, he assured. The CM disclosed that preparations were underway for local bodies elections and announced to take action after an inquiry of LWMC affairs. No illegal activity will be tolerated, he emphasized. PM Advisor Shehzad Akbar said that politics meant public service now and emphasized that the style of ‘Changa Manga’ and ‘mafia’ will not be allowed to work now. “Those who came into power through non-party 1985 elections hijacked the politics and indulged in the spate of corruption and loot. These are the people who never took food from their homes and blatantly wasted public resources,” he remarked.
He said that Raja Ishfaq Sarwar got 14 plots and Khizar Hayat, Mehmood-ul-Hassan and others also made hay while the sun was shining. He disclosed that around 2000 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”, he said. “Punjab government retrieved around 146000 acres of state land worth Rs. 425 billion from squatters,” he said. SACM said that the PTI government believed in transparency and this process will be permanently continued.