Amraiz Khan
The Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Thursday sealed 13 housing societies in Sialkot district, said spokesman for the ACE here.
He said that ACE received a reference from District Administration Sialkot to start legal proceedings against the owners of illegal and unregistered 13 housing societies associated with highly influential political figures of the district. He said that in a massive crackdown on unapproved housing societies jointly carried out by Anti-Corruption, District Administration, Tehsil Council Sialkot and police officers. During inquiry, 13 such societies were sealed in different areas of Sialkot District. Influential political leaders of the PML-N such as Mrs. Khawja Asif, Ex-Mayor Sialkot Mr. Toheed Akhtar, Rana Liaqat Ali, Chaudhry Arshid Warriach and Munsha Butt were running these societies through their front men. Millions of rupees loss had been incurred to public exchequer in the form of site map and conversion fees evasions. The Kent Society jointly owned by Mr. Toheed Akhtar and Mrs. Khawaja Asif had illegally included 281 kanals of land after the approval of first map which was illegal as per Punjab Government’s private housing society schemes. The said society had also sold out plots from the area marked for open areas such as parks, graveyard and public amenities, the reference said. An ACE officer, seeking anonymity, said that matter of irregularities committed in housing societies was not only in Sialkot but it was everywhere in the country. Supreme Court has already issued orders to the FIA and NAB to conduct forensic audit of the housing societies across the country to find irregularities and tax evasion and frauds committed with general public. He believed that 90 percent owners of the societies have committed such irregularities like violation of master plan in which most of the people squeeze the land specified for parks, graveyard and mosques etc.
It was beyond perception to start action from Sialkot he said and added that might be it could be tact to screw the political peoples belonging to the opposition parties. Commenting on the matter, the DG ACE said that the reference will be thoroughly examined and after proper investigation into the matter further action as per law will be taken.
