NAB is more active in Punjab than other provinces : Shahbaz Sharif

Lahore : Punjab Land Record Authority (PLRA) and National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) have signed an agreement at Model Town, here today.

According to this agreement, the services of obtaining ownership deeds of public properties at NADRA’s 3700 E-Sahulat Centers will be provided to the people.

DG Punjab Land Record Authority Cap. (R) Zafar Iqbal and Chairman NADRA Mobeen Usman signed the agreement on the behalf of their respective organizations. Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif was the chief guest of the ceremony.

Addressing the ceremony, the Chief Minister termed the agreement as a welcome step adding that it would facilitate 5.5 crore farmers of the province.

Recalling the past performance, he said that land record computerization was started way back in 1997, but the democratic process was obstructed on October 12, 1999 and the project was put to back burner in the dictatorship era. No further work was done and the resources allocated for the software succumbed to corruption.

This project is a milestone initiative and with its completion, the 150-year old Patwar culture has buried to a large extent. We have ensured that no Patwar culture could ever encumber the new system. 450 employees which succeeded in getting jobs through bribery were sent to homes and the responsible persons were put behind the bars. Instead of hiding facts, it is better to elicit facts, he added.

I received a letter in which it was complained that Naib Tehsildars have succeeded in making it to the new system. When I got it investigated, the matter was found as true. Around 55 Naib Tehsildars were included in this new system. I took stern action; reprimanded the concerned officials and the Naib Tehsildars were removed from their posts.

The new system has been made transparent with tremendous efforts and no such complaints of corruption are received now which were lodged six months earlier. An intelligence wing has also been set up in Punjab Land Record Authority which is working in an organized manner there.

The completion of land record computerization project has buried the 150-year old obsolete system and now the previous staff cannot even enter in these offices.

Shahbaz Sharif said that Pakistan Muslim League-N government has adopted unprecedented steps for the development of agriculture sector.

The Chief Minister said that NAB is active in Punjab but it is not so active in other provinces and whose is the responsible for this? He said that accountability should be indiscriminate and based on justice. We have to promote this culture.

He said parliament has the necessary authority to legislate and it has to pay its role. If there are any black sheep, then holding of their accountability is the responsibility of their institutions. If there is any corruption at the lower echelon of the judiciary, then the same should be noticed by it.

To a question put forth about praise of Chief Minister Punjab by Pervaiz Musharraf, Shahbaz Sharif said that he kept this matter buried in his heart for a long time now but disclosing it today after an interview of Pervaiz Musharraf in recent weeks. Musharraf replied to a question, during his interview, that he did not offer premiership to Imran Khan or Ch. Nisar.

However, when he was asked about Shahbaz Sharif, he replied that it was his desire that Shahbaz Sharif would have had been the Prime Minister. He said that he and Ch. Nisar Ali Khan had meetings with him and Ch. Nisar was not present in the meeting, when the issue of premiership was discussed and it is true that Pervaiz Musharraf offered premiership to me.

But I made it clear to Pervaiz Musharraf that democratic system does not run like this. Parliament is there and democratic systems are not managed like that. I even asked to him that if you have any grievance, then I can arrange your meeting with Nawaz Sharif, and am ready to play my role in this regard. Musharraf said OK, I am going to Sri Lanka and arrange my meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif upon return. I shall also arrange my necessary notes in this regard, Musharraf further said. There should be complete harmony between political and military leadership for development. That is why; I always remain a strong supporter of effective coordination between Islamabad and Rawalpindi. I even said to him that this thing should also be kept in mind that the person, who cannot be loyal to his party, how he can show allegiance to some other body.

Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and DG Punjab Land Record Authority Zafar Iqbal also spoke on the occasion. Revenue Minister Ata Manika, Dr. Umar Saif, Chief Secretary, Chairman PLRA Rana Babar Hussain and high officials of Punjab government as well as NADRA, were also present on the occasion.