Punjab Anti-Corruption Department has registered a case against seven accused, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Cantonment Councillor Muhammad Abbas and a senior official of Municipal Corporation Lahore, for illegal construction of Mian Mir Plaza on government land worth almost Rs270 million (27 crores).
The department filed a leaflet on the reference of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Lahore Omar Sher Chatha. DC Lahore had sent a reference to take legal action against those occupying government land to Director General Anti-Corruption Muhammad Gohar Nafees.
DC Lahore in his reference had sought legal action against the stakeholders and government officials involved and wrote in the reference that Mian Mir Plaza had been constructed on government land at Ghaziabad Road.
The illegal plaza was built over nine kanals. According to revenue records, eight kanals and 13 marlas of the said land were owned by the provincial government.
The plaza was built on government land worth Rs270 million due to the incompetence and connivance of the concerned officers of the Municipal Corporation, the leaflet stated.
According to the anti-corruption investigation report, the plaza was built during the tenure of the concerned Revenue Officer Muhammad Rashid Butt. Tehsil Planning Officer Municipal Corporation Shaukat Ali Azhar approved the illegal construction on government land. Moreover, Building Inspector Abdul Basit did not report the incompetence and illegal construction in collusion with stakeholders, according to the leaflet.
In this regard, anti-corruption officials said that indiscriminate operations were underway against the ‘occupation mafia’ across Punjab.
