KARACHI: The Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Wednesday initiated a probe into allegations of illegal land grabbing in the port city that allegedly involves two Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers.
Earlier on Tuesday, Member National Assembly (MNA) Aftab Jehangir and Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Rabistan Khan had suddenly turned up in Sector-6C of Taiser Town where the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) was marking government land. The two legislators along with their supporters had a verbal confrontation with each other in which each accused the other of supporting encroachments in the area. The confrontation soon turned into a violent clash between the two parties during which the police chose to remain silent.
However, a video of the brawl made its way to social media and was shared multiple times. In the video, supporters of MNA Jehangir and MPA Rabistan can be seen hurling allegations of seizing government land and grabbing people’s property at each other.
A high-level inquiry committee headed by ACE East district deputy director (DD) has been formed to ascertain the allegations levelled by the two groups and their PTI leaders. A report will be submitted on the matter within two weeks.
“Legal action will be taken against the elements involved [in alleged land grabbing] in light of the report,” said Murtaza Wahab, the adviser to the chief minister on anti-corruption while adding that those occupying state land will be brought to book, “no matter how influential they may be”.