PML-N MNA ‘owns’ 7.5 acre house, but has no documents, plan
* Documents show objection raised by patwari over ownership
of land
* Widow claims ownership of 6 acres of land
* MNA Afzal Khokhar says he owns property, will file documents

By Asad Kharal

LAHORE: Amid the controversy surrounding a plaza owned by Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, documents available with Daily Times reveal that PML-N MNA Malik Muhammad Afzal Khokhar and his brothers have built a two-storey house – spread over 7.5 acres, or 60 kanals, and located opposite Expo Centre – without an approved plan. On July 20, 2006, the MNA and his brothers applied for the approval of a construction plan for the building, depositing Rs 129,188 as approval fee. The plan showed 52,655 square feet of covered area and 238,775 square feet of open area.

In light of the patwari’s report – dated November 6, 2006 – a building inspector raised an objection, and asked the owners for documentary proof of ownership, as the patwari had found a difference between the area mentioned in the ownership documents and the area mentioned in the plan. The Town Municipal Administration’s planning and coordination officer for Iqbal Town also issued a letter on the matter. On December 14, a widow, identified as Jamila Begum, filed an application – along with proof of ownership of 6 acres of the total area claimed by the MNA and his brothers – with the Anti-Corruption Department director general and the Iqbal Town municipal officer through her attorney, Adnan Mufti, against the brothers for filing “fake documents”.

According to the record, the brothers have so far filed 15 documents to prove their ownership. An area of one kanal and 13 marlas is owned by Saif Developers, while three documents show Malik Afzal Khokhar as the owner of 1 kanal and 8 marlas, 3 marlas and 16 marlas. Ammar Qureshi and Farzal Ali own 16 marlas and Ammar Qureshi owns 2 kanals and 13 marlas, while 1 kanal and 14 marlas have been registered in the name of their servant, Mian Ashfaq. However, the documents only account for 23 kanals 9 marlas, 5 kanals and 3 marlas which are owned by three people. Accordingly, a plan for only 18 kanals and 6 marlas can be approved, for which the brothers have not yet filed attested copies of registered sale deeds and transfer documents.

Instead they have attached several copies of one document with their application for approval of the building plan for 60 kanals. In line with the by-laws, the area should be in the ownership of the individuals applying for approval. There is no mention of ownership of the plot in the documents filed by Malik Afzal Khokhar with the Election Commission of Pakistan in 2003. The MNA managed to appoint his brother Saiful Malouk, through the city district government, a focal person in getting his illegal plan approved, but the Lahore High Court declared his appointment as coordinator illegal on July 6, 2009.

MNA Malik Afzal and Saiful Malouk told Daily Times that they were in contact with the town administration for the approval of their building plan. They said they were also going to file ownership documents with the administration. They claimed that they owned an area of more than 100 kanals at the location they were building their house. They said Saiful Malouk’s appointment as a coordinator was not aimed at getting the building plan approved.

Source: Daily Times

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