Land grabbing: Tenants ‘usurp land’

Police accused of being complicit with land grabbers.

BAHAWALPUR: “We have lost 23 acres of land to a land grabbers’ mafia and Saddar police is complicit in the matter,” said a land owner at a press conference here on Saturday.

Muhammad Aqeel Aziz and his nieces Maimoona Bibi and Khushnuda Bibi told media representatives that Aziz’s sister, Aneela Aziz, had leased 15 kanals land to Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Darvesh Muhammad Judgewali Puli.

The lease was to expire on May 1, 2012, but when Aziz demanded the land back, Ahmad made excuses to postpone the transfer of possession.



According to Aziz, Ahmad and his accomplices Rana Muhammad Nawaz, Ghulam Nabi, Ashraf and 40 other people, illegally took over 23 acres of land owned by Aziz on February 28.

He said Ahmad then also called police who arrested him (Aziz) and his nieces without hearing their side. Ahmad and his gang had bribed the Saddar police, Aziz added, which was why they did not take action against them.

Aziz said the land belonged to his family and Ahmad had been asking them to sell it to them but they had refused.

“We have appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to have our land returned to us. We have also registered a case at the Civil Lines police station,” said Aziz.



Saddar Station House Officer Ghulam Masood Bhatti told The Express Tribune that he had not received an application in this regard nor had he registered a case against Aziz.

“We would have taken action if a land mafia had occupied 23 acres,” he said. Bhatti denied the allegation that police had received bribes from the land mafia in the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2013.