Daily Times

Decision has been taken to reopen cases of illegal occupation of state land against Ghouri Town already pending with the FIA, police, district administration, CDA and the Anti-Corruption Establishment.

This step has been taken soon after issuance of directives by Prime Minister Imran Khan for launch of an indiscriminate operation against land mafia in the federal capital on immediate basis. On the other hand, Chaudhry Usman, the new owner of Ghauri Town and Chaudhry Abdul Rehman, who is already included in the 4th Schedule, have started efforts to avert this action. Stunning revelations have also come to the fore amid reports of action that a ruling party MNA has demanded Rs 750 million from the owners of Ghauri Town for quashment of cases against them.

Investors have warned the Ghauri Town administration in unequivocal terms that they should get the status of the society legalized forthwith otherwise it is feared that billions of rupees of citizens will sink. Scores of houses have reportedly been constructed on illegally occupied land of Auqaf Department and the federal government and several cases in this regard are already pending with the FIA and the Anti-Corruption Establishment.

In order to dispel the impression of illegal occupation of state land, the Ghauri Town administration has started plying several vehicles as part of a free bus service within the society to restore the confidence of the citizens. Water is being supplied through tankers free of cost to the residents as well. The citizens have demanded of the government to clear the matters of Ghauri Town as they have invested billions of rupees therein.

It is pertinent to mention here that the old owners of Ghauri Town have transferred the society to Chaudhry Usman for fear of cases. The citizens said they will get cases registered with SECP, FIA, Anti-Corruption Establishment, NAB and police during the current month against those who have minted money by illegally occupying the land allocated for graveyard, schools and playgrounds.

Credible sources said a ruling party MNA has demanded Rs 750 million from the Ghauri Town owner for clearance of inquiry against them. However, Ghauri Town management has not reached any decision so far on this count.

The district administration sources said information is being collected in respect of state and Auqaf Department land illegally occupied in all phases of Ghauri Town and the action will be initiated against the land mafia very soon.

When contacted, Chaudhry Usman said he is the person who had first of all identified 2,800 affectees in Ghauri Town and a pamphlet in this regard was also distributed in the society. “Now I am the owner of the Ghauri Town, and no affectees are left more,” he said. When asked as to why he was elevated from his position of a surveyor to the owner of Ghauri Town, he replied it was their ‘internal matter’.

It may be mentioned here that Chaudhry Usman was a surveyor in the society and was employed to carry out marking of plots for their identification.

Reports suggested that the magnitude of corruption in this society has swelled to Rs 17 billion.