Land Grab: 54 DHA employees declared absconders

LAHORE:

Fifty Defence Housing Authority (DHA) workers as well as four officers including Col (retired) Ehtesham, the research director, have been declared absconders by a court in a case about possession of land.

Sources said that Col Ehtesham was accused of trying to forcibly take possession of 4.25 kanals claimed by one Zulfiqar after he (Zulfiqar) had obtained a restraining order from a court.

Sources said the DHA had decided not to seek bail and to pressure the police instead to dismiss the case. In an application to the corps commander, he had accused the DHA administration of trying to unfairly influence the police investigation. The Corps Headquarters had then directed the DHA to follow the law.

The court had meanwhile declared 50 workers and four officers absconders. They were: Col Ehtesham, Col (retired) Muhammad Ashraf; Col (retired) Muhamamd Nawaz and Maj (retired) Muhammad Aslam.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 20^th, 2011.