Swedish-Pakistani woman’s property sold by brother and sister using forged power of attorney
LAHORE: After multiple visits to government offices, including the judiciary for the past seven years, a Swedish woman of Pakistani origin still awaits justice for the illegal seizure of her land worth millions, by her own brother and sister.
Samina Naveed, a former resident of Gulshan-e-Ravi, who moved to Sweden in 2001, learned eight years ago that her property in Lahore had been grabbed by her brother and sister in connivance with some influential land grabbers and government officials.
“I left Pakistan in July 2001 after my marriage while my elder brother Aslam Parvez Butt looked after our family property. I came to Lahore on my mother’s death in 2009 and was astonished to find that my elder brother, Aslam Butt, and sister Shahnaz Akhtar, had sold the property using a forged power of attorney with my fake signatures on it,” Samina told Pakistan Today.
She added that her father Sadiq Butt passed away in 1973 and she inherited over a hundred acres of commercial and agricultural land from him. Her father also owned several transport companies in Lahore.
According to Samina, her brother and sister sold 27 kanals of her land in Mozah Bhanu Chak in the outskirts of Lahore to an influential politician, who has the favour of both the police and the judiciary. Her 20 kanals in Bata Pur and other land in Dogran Kalan and Mozah Wagah have also been similarly sold and she does not have their possession as well.
The accused Aslam Butt was arrested by North Cant Police Station on the court’s order. He subsequently secured his conditional post-arrest bail by admitting that he had sold Samina’s property without her consent. He submitted an affidavit promising to transfer 25 kanals of his land in Samina’s name within 10 days as compensation.
However, he was declared an absconder by the court when he failed to comply with the court orders.
“I came back in 2016 to pursue my case but the police refused to cooperate with me to arrest the absconder,” said Samina, who also staged a sit-in outside the office of the Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) in December 2016.
According to the report of Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA), available with Pakistan Today, the thumb impressions on the power of attorney do not belong to Samina Naveed.
“I have visited the Commission for Overseas Pakistanis multiple times but the official present there does not pay heed to my concerns,” Samina claimed.
The accused was arrested again following intervention from senior police officials and is currently in jail, but Samina is still waiting to win her land back.
Samina’s lawyer told Pakistan Today that the case is lingering due to weaknesses in the judicial system.
“Everything is clear since the forgery has been proven by PFSA, but the litigant is continuously being denied justice,” the lawyer said, adding that frequent changing of judges has also contributed to the delay.
Accused Aslam Parvez Butt and his sister Shahnaz Akhtar were unavailable for comments.
