Pakistan: Buzdar govt used tricks to acquire land for Imran Khan’s Namal foundation in Punjab

Islamabad [pakistan], May 20 (ANI): Pakistan’s Punjab province on Wednesday withdrew its March 5, 2021 notification, which was issued to acquire the 6,508 kanals of Shamlat land (jointly owned by the community) in Mianwali for the Namal Education Foundation, a trust chaired by former Prime Minister Imran khan and without the payment of compensation.
The Punjab Board of Revenue, under the then Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, had conveyed its approval to the district administration of Mianwali with a clear instruction that the compensation for the land was not to be paid. It was said as the Namal Education Foundation was a registered trust and therefore, the clause of acquisition of land for public purpose should be invoked, the News International reported.
“It appears to the deputy commissioner Mianwali that the land is likely required by the government for the public purpose namely for the construction of Namal Knowledge City in tehsil and district Mianwali,” according to the notification issued by then district administration of Mianwali in March 2021 citing Section-4 of the Land Acquisition Act-1894.
Earlier, on February 15, the Board of Revenue Punjab, Settlement Branch wrote a letter to the district administration of Mianwali suggesting that the land demanded by the Namal Trust should be given without asking for compensation charges as the work was being done for public interest.
After a year and two months, the commissioner Sargodha issued an order for withdrawal of the notification of the land acquisition for the trust. Though, the land has been acquired by the district management but yet has not been handed over to the Namal Education Foundation, reported The News International.
The Namal Education Foundation currently possesses 8,000 kanals of the land but only 1,200 kanals could be utilised till now. It means the remaining 6,800 kanals of land was never put to use, The News International has learnt.
This land was awarded to Namal in 2008 in district Mianwali, Sargodha Division, on minimal compensation charges at Rs 1,500 per kanal. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan as chairman of Namal signed the documents to receive 8,000 kanals of land in Mianwali.
According to the publication, the provisions of land acquisition act could not be invoked to acquire land for a trust. Moreover, on questioning about the land acquired by NAMAL during PMLN tenure in 2008, it was alleged that the said land acquisition was also illegal. (ANI)