Daily Times

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar on Tuesday came head-to-head with Federal Minister for Privatization Muhammad Mian Soomro over ownership of a piece of land.

According to details, SAPM Akbar and Muhammad Mian Soomro’s relatives have claimed a stake on a piece of land in the area of a town called Mandra in Gujjar Khan.

Both sides argue that the plot belongs to them and have resorted to showing of power by means of employing assets of the state to work in their favour.

Brother of SAPM on Accountability Shahzad Akbar has claimed that he has legal claims to the land after winning a court case for ownership and possession.

The land was contested among Murad Akbar and Jawad Sohrab Malik, nephew of Muhammad Mian Soomro. It has been revealed that Soomro’s nephew Jawed Malik has been sending government number plated cars to the site as means to coerce and strike fear. British national Jawad Malik is brother of Fahad Malik, who was killed in Islamabad four years ago.

Soomro’s nephew also came along with the government vehicles in his personal car to the sight in an effort to drive away Murad Akbar. Sources privy to the development have claimed that Muhammad Mian Soomro also called the officer in charge of police in the locality to help his nephew in obtaining the land.

Meanwhile, the ongoing land dispute between relatives of the two cabinet members resulted in the transfers of at least three civil servants from the revenue department and police.

Official notifications appear to show that at least two top civil officers of the revenue department have so far been shuffled or let go due to alleged misuse of authority owing to the high-level power struggle between the two top members of the federal cabinet.

The civil servants include former Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Sardar Saifullah Khan Dogar and ex-Additional Deputy Commissioner for revenue Rizwan Qadeer. Saifullah was transferred on January 20 and replaced with Capt. (Retd) Muhammad Anwar-ul-Haq, while Rizwan Qadeer was transferred two days earlier. An assistant superintendent of police (ASP) in Gujjar Khan has also been transferred due to the dispute.