ISLAMABAD – The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) Tuesday informed the SupremeCourt that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had illegally allotted 14,398acre land of Hazrat Baba Farid-ud-Din Ganj Shakar’s shrine in Pakpattan.A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisarheard a case pertaining to the allotment of Pakpattan shrine’s land to anindividual, Dewan Ghulam Qutab, by Nawaz Sharif as Punjab chief minister in1985.At the outset of proceedings, JIT head Dr Hussain Asghar submitted thereport which stated that the then Punjab chief minister Nawaz Sharif hadillegally allotted the land of Pakpattan shrine in 1985.“The first inquiry report prepared in 2015 had held the then chief ministerresponsible, however, his name was removed in another report in 2016,” theJIT chief told the court.Dr Hussain Asghar said,“The lands of Hujra Shah Muqeem and Hafiz JamalShrine were also transferred by Nawaz Sharif during the same tenure.”JIT head recommended that since the then chief minister did not have theauthority to transfer the land, so the land should be retrieved andcriminal proceedings be initiated against Nawaz Sharif, then secretary tochief minister Syed Javed Iqbal Bukhari, the legal heirs of Deewan GhulamQutub Din, the assistant administrator of Auqaf Pakpattan during the periodfrom 1969 to 1986 and the patwaris (revenue officials) of the area “wherethese irregularities and illegalities were committed”.The chief justice observed that time had changed and a third inquiry reporthad been be prepared now. Under which law the then Punjab chief ministertook back the notification for the land which was donated and how the property that was donated, was sold, he asked.Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked, “The district judge and the high court hadordered that the notification of the donated land cannot be withdrawn. Thenunder which law was the notification withdrawn?”Dr Asghar said, “The then secretary to the chief minister has admitted thatthe notification was withdrawn on the chief minister’s directives.”However, Munawar Dogal, counsel for Nawaz Sharif, said,“My client hasearlier denied withdrawing the notification.””You’re playing the role of a person more loyal to the king than the kinghimself,” the CJP remarked. “We may order the Anti-Corruption Establishmentto file a complaint.”The chief justice ordered the Punjab government and Nawaz Sharif to submita response to the JIT report within two weeks. The hearing was adjournedfor a weekIt may be added that the three-judge bench had constituted the JIT duringhearing of the suo motu case on December 13 and appointed Director-GeneralAnti-Corruption Punjab Dr Hussain Asghar as its new head on December 27.
Pakpattan shrine JIT makes stunning revelations against former CM Nawaz Sharif Role
