LAHORE: Punjab’s Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Tuesday arrested Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) Member National Assembly Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf on charges of illegal occupation of government land.
In a statement today, ACE said Ashraf is a PML-N legislator elected from NA-148.
Ashraf is facing charges of conspiring with a revenue officer (patwari) to grab government land by falsifying land documents and records.
The anti-corruption department has registered a case against the member of the assembly.
The document revealed that Ashraf forged ownership documents (Girdawari) of over 150 kanals of government land in Chak No. 6-R/90 of Sahiwal.
Gardawari is a legal document of revenue department used in Pakistan which gives details of land and crop.
According to the details, MNA Ashraf bribed the revenue staff and the colony clerk to get the land allotted to one Sharif Ahmed Hashmi and without paying anything to the government, he has been cultivating crops on it for a long time. .
The document further states that the accused is indiscriminately causing loss of crores of rupees to the national exchequer and should be brought to justice.
PM Shahbaz Sharif has condemned the arrest of the MNA.
Describing the arrest of MNA Chaudhry Ashraf as part of the political witchcraft of the Punjab coalition government, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday strongly condemned the move.
Prime Minister Shehbaz accused PTI Chairman Imran Khan of giving orders to use the anti-corruption department against political rivals.
PTI is still following the negative policy of political harassment. You have seen it in the last four years,” the prime minister said, adding that such a stance has caused irreparable damage to the country.
He said that after setting up National Accountability Board (NAB) on its political opponents, PTI is now using ACE as a tool to harass them (government and allies) which is very sad.
