PML-N MNA Chaudhry Ashraf arrested in land grabbing case

• ACE Punjab arrested PML-N MNA Chaudhry Ashraf
• He is accused of illegally occupying state land
• Ashraf allegedly bribed the revenue officer to obtain fake allotment

LAHORE: Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has arrested Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf for illegally occupying state land.

In a statement, the ACE said that Ashraf, who is a PML-N lawmaker elected from NA-148 Sahiwal, is accused of illegally taking possession of 157 acres of land.

The anti-corruption watchdog said Ashraf allegedly occupied state-owned land by forging land documents and records in connivance with the revenue officer (Patwari) Muhammad Saleem and clerk Riyasat Ali.

A case has been registered against the lawmaker. The lawmaker has been arrested after confirmation of the charge after he issued a fake allotment issued to Sharif Ahmed Hashmi.

The document revealed that Ashraf fraudulently faked the ownership document (gardawari) of the state-owned land of over 150 acres in Chak no 6-R/90 of Sahiwal.

According to details, Ashraf had the land allotted in the name of one Sharif Ahmed Hashmi by bribing revenue staff and has been cultivating crops without any payment to the government.

ACE Punjab further said that the accused has been dealing losses worth millions to the state exchequer and must be brought to justice.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the arrest of Chaudhry Ashraf and said ACE Punjab was being used as a tool of political vengeance. He said the anti-corruption department was being used against politicians on the behest of Imran Khan.

The prime minister regretted that like National Accountability Bureau and Federal Investigation Agency, the Anti-Corruption Establishment Punjab was being exploited.

He stressed that instead of pressurizing the politicians, there was a need to focus on the problems of the general public. He expressed solidarity with the arrested politician Chaudhry Ashraf.

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