Ministry officials held in plot scam

The FIA Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad has arrested three officers from the Ministry of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs in connection with the illegal allotment and alleged tampering of records and registries of plots allocated for Kashmiri refugees in Jhelum.

The teams are also conducting raids to apprehend the involved officials from the Punjab Revenue Department.

According to authorities, the arrests stem from findings in FIA Anti-Corruption Inquiry No. 111/23, which revealed that plots were initially allotted to Kashmiri refugees in Rathian Colony, Jhelum, by the Ministry of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs. These plots were meant exclusively for Kashmiri refugees as per the original allotment deed. However, the inquiry uncovered that, in violation of the original deed, illegal transfers and registries were carried out with the alleged collusion of Punjab Revenue Department staff, transferring the plots to unauthorised individuals. The Ministry of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs confirmed that no formal approval had been obtained from the federal government for these transfers.

Furthermore, illegal registries were executed in favour of non-Kashmiri refugees through the office of the Sub-Registrar in Dina, District Jhelum, via unlawful registration of transfer deeds.

Following the completion of the inquiry, an FIR was lodged against officials, including Assistant Administrative Officer-II, Nasir Hayat, Assistant Administrative Officer-III, Maqsood Ahmed and then Jhelum Revenue Officer/Tehsildar Nadeem Barth, as well as former Tehsildar Sheikh Jameel.

A couple of days before, a team led by Deputy Director Afzal Khan Niazi of the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle arrested three officials from the Ministry of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs, Administrative Officer-II, Nasir Hayat, Administrative Officer-III, Maqsood Ahmed, Assistant Accounts Officer, Abdullah Khan. The teams are conducting raids to arrest the remaining accused.