Adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Accountability Shahzad Akbar on Sunday revealed that the government has recovered Rs210 billion from 36 members of the PML-N over the course of the past two-and-a-half years.
“This is the reality behind the hue and cry being raised by the PML-N,” he said, as he addressed a press conference in Islamabad.
Akbar said the party was accusing the government of exacting political revenge simply to save their own skins.
The premier’s adviser said that in Punjab alone, Rs25bn worth of land was recovered. He said that this land is now being used for public welfare, Radio Pakistan reported.
Akbar spoke of the land razed by the Lahore Development Authority where the Khokhar brothers had established “Khokhar Palace”. “They had grabbed land belonging to the government worth Rs1.5bn,” he said.
LDA launches operation against ‘illegal construction’ at Khokhar palace
He said that besides the recovery from the Khokhars, land worth Rs92.5 million was also taken back from Khurram Dastagir, “which has been turned into a public park”.
Akbar said what remains now is for the government to collect “penal rent” worth Rs5 billion.
Discussing further recoveries, he said that land worth Rs1 billion was taken back from Chaudhry Tanveer and worth Rs2.5 billion from Daniyal Aziz.
Moreover, 8 kanals of government land were recovered from Javed Latif, along with a plot in Sheikhupura; millions of rupees worth of land taken back from Ahsanullah Bajwa; 25 acres of land which amounts to Rs70 million has been recovered from Mazhar Rasheed; land worth Rs2 billion was taken back from Abid Sher Ali; and land worth millions was also recovered from Maiza Hameed’s husband, he said.
Among other leaders he named, according to Radio Pakistan are Mudasar Qayum Nahra, Mir Badshah Qaisrani, and PPP leader Nayyar Bukhari.
Punjab’s anti-corruption drive led to 532% increase in recoveries, says Shahzad Akbar
Akbar said that a common man cannot “occupy government lands” and that these are “powerful people”.
He said these recoveries “were not an easy task” but Punjab government’s performance over the past two-and-a-half years has been “excellent”.
The premier’s adviser said all the land taken back was either forest land or agricultural.
He said work is underway to raze an “illegal plaza” in Sialkot, adding that Khwaja Asif “has also occupied a housing society”.
Akbar, recalling the PML-N’s rule, said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif “promoted Changa Manga politics” and “politics of money” at the time.
He said this is why the Supreme Court of Pakistan had used the word “mafia” in its judgment when Nawaz was disqualified.
The premier’s adviser said that if one were to ask Nawaz what his ideology is, “he won’t be able to answer”.
