ISLAMABAD - Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Thursday said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had been patronising the land grabbers for political gains.
While addressing a press conference along with Advisor to Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar, the minister said that recently around 10 land mafia gangs had been exposed in Punjab that were being backed the PML-N.
The land grabbers were using their influence not only in Punjab but also other parts of the country, the minister added. Chaudhry Fawad said that PML-N Vice President, Maryam Nawaz should feel embarrassed for backing the land mafias. The minister said that due to these organised groups of ‘Qabza Mafia’ Pakistan was facing moral degradation in the world, adding that it were the same Khokhar Brothers who had signed the surety bond of Nawaz Sharif.
He said accountability was being done on two fronts – one against land grabbers in which more than land worth Rs 200 billion has been retrieved and the other one under the supervision of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in which around Rs 500 billion recovered from the corrupt elements.
The minister said the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Inaf (PTI) under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan had taken concrete measures to bring back the laundered money from abroad. Commenting on the Azmat Saeed Commission on Broadsheet scandal, the minister said that Terms of Reference (ToRs) of the commission has been decided and notification would be issued soon.
The minister said that PML-N had launched organized campaign on media and other platforms against the commission on Broadsheet scandal. To a question, the minister said that PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples’ Party leader Asif Zardari and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman were seeking National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). He said that the government was ready to give them NRO if they all returned the looted public money in the national exchequer. Shahzad Akbar said PTI government had been retrieving looted amounts from corrupt elements. He said that government land of worth 60-70 million rupees had been retrieved from Khawaja Asif. He also added that 8-Kanal and two Marla land has also been retrieved from Javed Latif. Commercial plaza was being built on this land of Punjab Highway.
He said a total land of worth 200 billion rupees has been retrieved in Punjab from high profile land grabbers. He said that the elements who used to take monetary benefits in connivance with PML-N are part of PDM processions. He said that Lahore High Court has not announced any stay order on retrieved lands, recovered from land grabbers. He said that in Gujranwala two-Kanal and 11 Marla land was recovered which was occupied by father of Khurram Dastagir, who had build a petrol pump there.
Meanwhile, 2400-kanal land was also retrieved from father of PML-N leader Daniyal Aziz, said Barrister Shahzad Akbar. He also revealed that 5000 Benami Kanal land was also retrieved from PML-N Chaudhry Tanveer. Shahzad Akbar said that 1052-Kanal state land was retrieve in Kasur from land grabbers.