Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar on Thursday said the political empire, established by the Sharif family, was a result of plundering of national resources by them.
Shahzad Akbar said that in 1985, when a political group came to power in Punjab on the basis of non-party elections, they had started such corrupt practices on the basis of political patronage. He said that illegal allotment of plots in the past were real reflection of the ‘Changa Manga’ style of politics, political patronage of qabza groups and beginning of the culture of mafias in the country by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Shahzad Akbar expressed this while addressing a press conference, along with Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan.
Shahzad Akbar said that Qamar Zaman Khan was made the Lahore development Authority (LDA) director general (DG) by the then government to pave the way for their wrongdoings. Discretionary quota for allotment of plots had also been exercised, though it was mentioned in all summaries that plots were allotted in violation of the quota. He said that around 1,300-1,400 plots were allotted in a clear violation of the law.
Taking a dig at PML-n supremo, SHahzad Akbar said when Nawaz Sharif was chief the minister of Punjab, more than 2,000 LDA plots were allotted, out of which 1,352 were allotted illegally, as the allottees were not deserving people at all. He said that no government in the past dared to hold accountability and credit goes to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government that all institutions were made independent to bring to the fore such corrupt practices.
He said that recoveries would be made from looters as Prime Minister Imran Khan had promised to make recoveries from plunderers. The adviser to PM said that legal action would be taken against those who allotted plots and recoveries would be made from those who benefited from these plots.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said that the PML-N wreaked havoc on the institutions, promoted nepotism during its tenures and misused the state land by allotting it to the blue eyed people including the then sitting parliamentarians from the party.
CM said that plots reserved for martyrs, widows and other deserving persons were allotted by the then ruling PML-N government in 1985 in violation of rules to their favored persons. PTI government in Punjab is carrying out across the board operation against the land grabbers, and the government will continue the drive to retrieve state land from the grabbers. He said.
To another question, CM Buzdar promised to retrieve land in the journalist colony and action will be initiated against those involved in an illegal act. The journalists will be given their rights, he assured.
Replying to the question, the CM asserted that not only recovery will be made but penalties will also be recovered from the illegal beneficiaries. Retrieval of state land is not a temporary act but a permanent process and no one will be allowed to grab the state land, he added.
To another question, the CM said a 7 billion Ramazan Package will be given to provide relief through a network of more than 300 Sahulat Bazaars. The rates of different items will be according to 2018.
More than 300 bazars would be set up across the province to provide basic amenities to the people at subsidised rates as an amount of more than Rs 7 billion would be utilised for the purpose, he added.
To a query , Usman Buzdar said that instructions had been issued to resolve matters pertaining to Lahore Waste Management Company and action would be initiated if any irregularity was found. To another question regarding local bodies elections in the province, the chief minister said that the PTI was ready to hold local bodies elections in the province; however, the local bodies act was in the process of legislation as some amendments had been made to the act. He said that the Supreme Court of Pakistan was also taking up the matter and PM Imran Khan had also issued clear instructions about holding of the elections soon.
