The Daily STAR
Karachi, Tuesday, December 8, 1998, Sha’aban 18, 1419

PML leaders protecting land mafia
150 acres recovered from land grabbers in Malir

STAR REPORT

The district administration of Malir launched an operation against the land mafia and recovered 150 acres from their clutches by bulldozing two villages and two builders’ offices. Two builders were arrested and cases registered against some PML leaders who are very active in land grabbing.

The DC and SSP Malir who had received numerous public complaints against the land grabbers collected a heavy police contingent from 10 police stations and launched on operation last might in Deh Biti Amrl where a village had been established and named after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s son, Hussain Nawaz.

The village was reportedly established by PML leader Ikhlaq Hashmi who had Afghans settled here.

The move was resisted by them and they pelted the police with stones. The police arrested 10 Afghans and bulldozed the village.

The police also bulldozed Qadir Bux Burfat village established on the land of ‘Goth Abad scheme’. In the scheme a few plots were allotted to Mr Burfat but he sold various other plots to Bengalis and turned it into a settlement for them. His allotted plots were also cancelled.

The operation team also bulldozed the offices of a builder ‘Diamond City’. Who had launched residential-cum- commercial project on 40-acres allowed to the villagers under ‘goth abad scheme’. This land some sources said was sold by Mr Jan Mohammed Baloch to the builder. The lease of the village was also cancelled of the spot.

The offices of ‘Al-Manzar builder’ was also bulldozed because it was allotted to the villagers under ‘goth abad scheme’ but was purchased by a builder illegally.

Both the builders had started booking and banners were displayed all over Malir. This timely action caved the public money from sinking.

The police also arrested two builders Manzar Abbas and Safdar while cases were registered against 12 persons, including Mr Ikhlaq Hashmi.

The operation was supervised by SDM Airport, Mr Rahim Soomro, AC Ghulam Hussain Memon, and DOP Hussain Lehri.