Ring Road scandal probe team finds ‘crucial evidence’

Team acquirs details of land purchased in Rawalpindi, Attock loop at exorbitant rates

RAWALPINDI:

An investigation team probing the Rawalpindi Ring Road scandal has acquired the details of land purchased in Rawalpindi and Attock loop at exorbitant rates against the existing market value.

Sources said that the land, including barren property, was acquired from influential figures.

Sources told The Express Tribune that crucial former Rawalpindi Land Acquisition Collector Wasim Tabish favoured influential landlords in the Attock loop by paying them the price worth twice the existing land value.

They added that the land was acquired at higher rates in Attock than in Rawalpindi, causing a loss of Rs2 billion to the Punjab government. The investigation revealed that 4,474 kanals were acquired in the Attock loop for Rs3.416 billion while in Rawalpindi, 6,603 kanals were acquired for Rs1.673 billion.

Read Buzdar, Zulfi, Sarwar ‘cleared’ in Ring Road scandal

Most of the land acquired in Attock was barren and the sole purpose of higher payment in the Attock loop was to give benefit to influential people.

Sources further stated that influential people were paid Rs1.8 million per kanal while a minimum of Rs0.14 million per kanal was paid in Attock. In comparison, a maximum of Rs0.43 million per kanal and a minimum of Rs60,000 per kanal was paid in the Rawalpindi district.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2021.