Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s party members might not be on the same page with their chairman, Imran Khan, when it comes to ‘representing the poor’ in politics. Lahore PTI president and former Jamat-i-Islami (JI) leader Mian Mahmood-ur-Rashid has a reputation of acquiring large acres of land and currently he has over 22 acres of Punjab University land under his ownership for over 25 years, Pakistan Today has learnt. Sources said the land was acquired on lease 25 years ago when Rashid was a don of JI and was controlling IJT Iqbal Town colleges’ wings, adding that the ‘good cultivation land’ was obtained on the basis of Rashid’s influence and power. “Even though he says he has left the JI and has joined the PTI, Mahmood-ur-Rashid has not left his old ways. He is still occupying that land under his brother’s name, which means he doesn’t support Khan’s agenda from his heart,” the sources said.
Khan’s declaration of assets on Sunday was highly appreciated by the administration of the PU, varsity’s poor employees and students but they condemned Rashid for not following in Khan’s footsteps and for holding onto PU’s land through his wealth and power. A number of poor PU employees requested Khan to instruct Rashid to vacate the land and to not to deprive the poor of their rights. “Even though the PU cultivates the land, the poor employees of the university are given jobs on it so that they can make extra income,” a PU official said, adding, “We do not know how Mian Mahmod got this land on lease, he should respect the rights of the poor employees to work on it.”
“He occupied the land 25 years ago on his brother, Mian Habib-ur-Rashid’s name and now the poor employees can’t work on it. He should leave the land since they are suffering,” said another employee. “He should either leave the land or leave Imran Khan’s party. We love Imran Khan and we don’t want to associate those who deprive us of our rights with him,” said a PU sweeper. “It is not just Rashid, other politicians including PML-Q MPA Arshad Imran Sulahri , former Lahore nazim and other feudal lords have also occupied land,” another official said, adding “Rashid also made a daira on the location which was destroyed by the PU.”
“We supported Imran Khan even when he was manhandled back in 2007 but it is disappointing to see that Mian Mahmood is depriving poor people of their right,” said Amir Malik, a PU student, adding “the land is located behind my department and it is going to waste instead of being a source of income for those who deserve the politicians’ attention.” “We will bring this issue to Imran Khan’s notice. Mian Mahmood should have known better,” said a senior PTI leader while talking to Pakistan Today. “I don’t own any land in the PU and neither does my brother. These allegations are false. Even if we did then we pay the lease money what is the big deal?” Mian Mahmood-ur-Rashid said while denying all allegations.
Toeing Imran Khan’s line too hard, is it?
