Farogh Seeks Comprehensive Report On Abandoned Properties In A Week

Federal Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Dr Farogh Naseem Wednesday directed the Abandoned Properties Organisation (APO) to submit complete and comprehensive information about abandoned properties within a week

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Aug, 2021 ) :Federal Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Dr Farogh Naseem Wednesday directed the Abandoned Properties Organisation (APO) to submit complete and comprehensive information about abandoned properties within a week.

He issued these instructions while chairing a second meeting on abandoned properties.

Dr Farogh Naseem welcomed the Federal Minister for Privatization Muhammad Mian Soomro on his inclusion as member of the committee. The meeting was also attended by Federal Minister for Railway Azam Khan Swati, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan, Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Justice Barrister Maleeka Ali Bokhari, MNAs Kishwar Zehra and Usama Qadri, senior officers from the APO, Federal Investigation Agency and other relevant authorities.

Federal Secretary for Law and Justice Raja Naeem Akbar briefed the meeting on the data provided by the APO on the instructions of the law minister issued in the last meeting.

Dr Farogh while issuing instructions to the representatives of APO, said the information provided was insufficient and therefore complete and comprehensive information should be provided within a week stating that where these properties were located and at what prices they were sold and what was their market values at that time.

He also sought the Names of officers of the APO who were holding office at that time should also be provided and what decisions were taken at the time abandoned properties were sold/auctioned and under which auction rules those properties were sold.

Barrister Farogh Naseem reiterated his instructions to the APO not to sell any abandoned property and asked the officers present in the meeting to inform their boards of revenue of the provincial governments about the decisions taken in the meeting otherwise, strict action would be taken against those responsible for the sale/auction of abandoned properties in future until a final decision was made.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan expressing his views said the first thing which had to be seen was that how many properties were auctioned, whether the due process was followed for auction, and was there any action taken to find the real owner of the properties.

Both Azam Khan Swati and Muhammad Mian Soomro were of the view that they would not tolerate any bungling in the abandoned properties and they would do all sundry to reverse any illegal processes.

Muhammad Mian Soomro said in 1971 at the time of fall of Dhaka there was only one unit. Therefore, the numerous agricultural properties claimed by the Sindh government was not appropriate, he added.

He maintained that the abandoned properties of Bangalies in Sindh could not be the property of the Sindh government rather of the federal government for which lawful steps were required to be taken.

Azam Khan Swati agreed with Muhammad Mian Soomro and added that similar was the case with Railways properties.

Azam Khan Swati, Muhammad Mian Soomro, Ali Muhammad Khan and Barrister Maleeka Ali Bokhari stressed that Beharies who had left East Pakistan after the debacle in 1971 were devout Pakistanis and the PTI government was all set to take corrective steps so as to eradicate injustices to all segments of the society including the Beharies, in terms of principles of international law.

Usama Qadri and Kishwar Zehra were categorical that the principles of international law had been violated and more than that the Sindh government had tackled the matter in a non-transparent manner.

In the end, Dr Farogh Naseem thanked every participant and said he would ensure that the committee formulated its recommendations strictly in consonance with the law, Constitution and principles of international law.

The next meeting of the committee would be held after two weeks.