Amraiz Khan
Chief Minister Punjab Sardar 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 discretionary quota. 646 plots 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 and the discretionary quota was violated.
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.
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.
He stated this 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 CM said 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 was illegally allotted 14 plots, he added.
The CM said that ACE has been directed to take legal action adding that recovery will also be made.
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 nor anyone held accountability. Rather, this huge political bribery was hushed up, he said.
He said 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 the 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 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 to retrieve land in journalist colony and 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 are 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 means 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 congratulated CM Usman 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 that 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 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.
The PTI government has freed institutions from political pressure to help them to independently perform.
Punjab government retrieved around one lakh and 46 thousand acres state land worth Rs. 425 billion from squatters.
SACM said that the PTI government believes in transparency and this process will be permanently continued. SMBR, DG LDA, Secretary Information, DGPR and others were also present.
Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar said PDM’s rallying cry for a long march has met its logical end.
In a statement, the CM said those giving ultimatum of the long march are trying to disrupt the development process adding that the gang of opportunists has tried to take in the people for its personal gains.
It is, however, heartening that PDM’s every conspiracy has remained unsuccessful, he said.
This unnatural alliance is meaningless before the transparent politics of PM Imran Khan and there is no room for the specific agenda espoused by the opportunists’ lobby, he continued.
Usman Buzdar said the tragic death of the PDM is a clear message to the opportunists as their mean politics has been fully exposed. The PDM’s failure in Punjab is the retribution for its past decisions.
It is better the rejected elements should adopt a positive approach and shun their anarchistic designs.
Meanwhile, keeping in view the recent surge, Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has directed that anti-corona precautions should be strictly implemented.
