By Munawer Azeem

Copyright dawn

ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister’s Office has constituted a joint inquiry committee to thoroughly probe the alleged land grabbing by the ‘land mafia’ in the federal capital and to fix responsibility on those involved in the illegal practice.

An order issued in this regard stated that the committee will also suggest remedial measures to protect the interests of persons and entities who have fallen victim to the alleged fraud.

The seven-member committee was formed in response to an application submitted to the PM Office. It is headed by the Islamabad deputy commissioner and includes representatives from the Inter-Services Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau, capital police, Federal Investigation Agency, Pakistan Navy (to be nominated by Naval Headquarters) and any other co-opted member or forensic expert the committee deems necessary.

The Interior Division will notify the committee, while the deputy commissioner’s office will provide secretarial support to the joint probe body.

Seven-member body to investigate fraudulent land transfer, fix responsibility, recommend remedial measures

The committee has been directed to submit its report to the prime minister through the Interior Division within seven days.

Sources told Dawn that an expatriate submitted an application to the PM Portal, complaining about the grabbing of his land in Islamabad.

In response, the PM Office constituted the committee to probe the matter and fix responsibility. The complaint was also forwarded to the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, which was asked to investigate.

The DC Office initiated the inquiry, while the police also began investigations.

Preliminary findings suggested that the expatriate, a retired bureaucrat currently affiliated with the World Bank and residing in the US, owned the land. His father had purchased 137 kanals in the capital’s rural area in 2002 and he held ownership, possession and entitlement to it.

During his recent visit to Islamabad, he found private security guards deployed on his land and discovered that it had been occupied by another party. He also found that cattle he owned and kept on the property had disappeared.

The expatriate had appointed a manager to look after the land in his absence and had issued him a power of attorney to represent him in case of litigation. However, the power of attorney was limited to legal matters only.

It was later discovered that the manager, in connivance with a land provider/middleman and a few officials of the Revenue Registry Branch, had altered the last page of the power of attorney, granting the manager the power to sell the land.

Using the forged document, the two sold the property through separate transactions amounting to Rs390 million in pay orders and cash, despite the land’s actual worth being Rs190m.

It is suspected that some officials of the Revenue Registry Branch are also involved in the matter.

The committee, headed by the deputy commissioner, is likely to submit its report to the PM Office soon.

Meanwhile, the capital police have registered a case regarding the cattle theft.

Further legal action, including registration of additional cases, will be taken in light of the inquiry report and directives issued by the PM Office.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2025