Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice (CJ) Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry on Monday asked the Punjab chief minister to form a high-level enquiry to probe the financial embezzlement of Rs 800 million in Revenue Department done by patwaris and tehlsidars of Mandi Bahauddin while collecting property mutation fee. The CJ sought a report of the CM’s enquiry team by October 10.
The LHC CJ also ordered for registration of FIR against patwaris, tehsildars and Mandi Bahauddin assistant commissioner working in a nexus in committing forgery in mutation fee receipts of the amount received from sale and purchase of lands which they did not deposit in the state kitty and pocketed portion of the revenue by making bogus receipts of deposits in the national bank.
The CJ passed the order on a petition filed by Ahmad Ali Waris, implicating Mandi Bahauddin DCO, additional collector, assistant commissioner, Naib Tehsildar Sohowar Jamalian Arif Anjum and Patwari Sohowar Jamalian Anayat.
The petitioner’s counsel said the petitioner moved an application to Mandi Bahaduddin DCO on July 9 against the naib tehsildar and patwari for misappropriating property mutation fee during 2004 and 2007. He alleged that the respondents, instead of depositing the mutation fee in the government treasury, used the amount to improve their personal properties.
The counsel submitted that the application moved by his client was referred to assistant commissioner for enquiry, who threatened the petitioner when approached. He pleaded that the respondents had failed to inquire the matter, therefore, an inquiry be ordered and legal action be initiated against delinquent officials.
The CJ directed Additional Advocate General Hanif Khatana to approach the Punjab CM for formation of an enquiry committee.
LHCBA to debate
cutting NATO
supplies: An emergency meeting of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) has been called for today (Tuesday) to discuss stopping NATO supplies in response to the US threat of taking action against Pakistan.
Lawyer Liaquat Ali Qureshi tabled the requisition saying that after the US threatened Pakistan, 170 million Pakistanis were living under the blanket of fear and the sovereignty of the country was in danger. He said that it was time to adopt a bold foreign policy and rethink the alliance that gave no credit or benefit to Pakistan.
The requisition said that despite some differences with the federal government on certain issues, the members of the bar supported the government and demanded that the government should give a stern reply to the US.
It was demanded that since the country was helping the US in the passage of NATO supplies to Afghanistan, the US government should be warned that the NATO supplies would be cut if the threatening did not stop.
It was put forth that instead of depending on the US, the government should solidify relations with China. It was also said that the US had always been hostile despite the country’s alliance with the US for many years and that the false accusation leveled against the country of backing terrorists up should not be forgiven.
Mandi Bahauddin: People of Mandi Bahauddin including social circles have urged Punjab Government to order inquiry according to orders passed by Lahore High Court Lahore into mega corruption scandal of eighty crores rupees in revenue department and register cases against
all those officials found responsible for misappropriation of government funds. They said that earlier revenue officials fleeced the public approaching them for seeking relief, but now in addition to that they breached trust by misappropriating government funds, using fraudulent tactics. It may be mentioned that in Mandi Bahauddin district patwaris did not deposit government funds received from
public on account of mutations fee for the last ten years. On writ petition filed by a citizen, Lahore High Court on examination of records produced by revenue department accepted the petition ad passed orders on Home Secretary Punjab for holding inquiry against corrupt officials for recovery of outstanding dues and punishing them under the law. Mandi Bahauddin is remote district and officers posted here feel free to indulge in malpractices like accepting illegal gratification, misusing their authority, using their own discretion with disregard to requirement of law. Superior officers ignore
malpractices of their subordinates and thus corruption has spread in all government and semi government departments. Complaints made by grieved citizens to superior authorities are not taken notice of. Similarly higher authorities and forums like judicial members of Punjab revenue Board do not work to dispose of cases pending with them in time and cases are delayed for decades for final verdict. Irrigation department is not different from revenue and police departments. They make money with removing ad cutting trees from sides of canals and sell them to misappropriate the produce. They also make money by reducing and increasing time of water turns for farmers. Government officials do not take interest in performing their duties unless their palms are greased. It is very unfortunate situation where people at bottom are made target of corruption and injustice by those who are in authority. Anti Corruption Department is inactive and its officials activities to check corrupt elements are never heard are
seen by locals.
Sher Gondal
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