Another PML-N parliamentarian in thick soup over charges of land scam in NWFP

[Naveed Yaseen]

Usman Manzoor
ISLMABAD: Another PML-N parliamentarian may have to face disciplinary action for allegedly getting involved in a multi-million rupees land scam in the NWFP.

Sardar Muhammad Mushtaq Khan, PML-N MNA from Haripur who had beaten Ayub Khan’s grandson in the February 2008 elections, is in hot waters as an inquiry report of a land scam has gone against him.

The MNA is allegedly involved in Rs110-million land scam but he strongly denies the allegation. But the inquiry report, a copy of which is available with The News, says some thing different. The report, submitted by the provincial inspection team (PIT) to the Chief Minister NWFP on the acquisition of land for the construction of workers’ welfare complex at village Kot Najibullah, district Haripur, states that an extra sum of Rs110 million was paid to the owners of land including the PML-N MNA.

Sources in the Revenue Department of Haripur say that because of the influence of the PML-N MP, the land was sold to the government at very high rate. “No one could imagine that arid land in Haripur would fetch such a huge price,” said a top official.

The report says that a welfare complex was to be constructed on the request of Workers Welfare Board (WWB) in Haripur and it was planned to acquire 100 acres of land. Half the land was purchased for Rs220 million after negotiations with the land owners while its market price was 140 million and while an extra Rs31 million were paid to the owners of land after tampering with the record of the revenue department. Interestingly the land bought by the revenue department on very high rates included the land owned by Sardar Muhammad Mushtaq Khan. His brother was included in the price assessment committee, which assessed such a high price of the land.

The report says that a piece of land measuring 438 kanals and 14 marlas was bought by the revenue department and a sum of Rs229,401,370 was paid to the land owners while the actual price of the land was Rs148,906,929, hence an extra sum of Rs80494440 was paid from the government’s treasury.

In its findings the report states, “the allegation regarding a big land scam in Haripur in which the provincial government has been inflicted huge financial loss is very much true.”

The report clearly mentions, “In various ‘khasrajat’, type of land has been fraudulently changed from inferior quality to superior quality, to benefit the concerned owner. The act speaks of highly criminal attitude and mala fide intentions of the revenue staff. In fact, due to forgery, more than 50 kanal of land has been illegally changed from inferior to superior type due to which Rs31,235,426 has to be paid extra.” The payment on forged documents reveals that inferior type of land (Mehra and kund) was shown as superior land (Chahi and Chahi arbi), which caused the government of NWFP a loss of over Rs30 million. Incidentally, the record of the land owned by the PML-N MP was forged.

The report recommends that the government employees should be suspended and action should be taken against those involved in forgery and fraud.

Sardar Muhammad Mushtaq Khan, when contacted, said that his opponents were campaigning against him. He said the land was sold to the government on the market price. “We have sold the land and saved the time of the government otherwise court litigations would have taken ten years”, said the PML-N MP adding: “Half of the land has still not been sold by the owners because they demand more payment and the project is still lingering on.” He said that he was the owner of a small piece of land, which has been sold to the government and not a single penny has been paid extra.

To a question the PML-N MNA said that his land was declared of superior nature in 2001 and that is why he has been paid more money. He said that first his brother was included in the price assessment committee but later he and his brother opted to stay away from the affairs of the committee. As a result instead of Nazim (his brother) of the area naib nazim was asked to join the committee.

Chief Secretary NWFP Javed Iqbal when contacted for his comments said that the provincial inspection team works directly under the chief minister and he alone can decide how to proceed further.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=181222