LAHORE (Anwer Hussain Sumra Investigative Journalist)

The Punjab government has decided to give 24 thousand 147 kanals of agricultural land to the Pakistan Army. The final approval of the land will be provided in the Provincial Cabinet meeting going to be held under the chairmanship of the caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab. This land shall be used for Army Welfare purposes. Under the scheme, Pakistan Army will allot the land to retired officers and families of martyrs who have fought bravely and embraced martyrdom against the war on terror & others.

This land will be given in four districts of South Punjab. According to the details and documents, the Director General Lands, Pakistan Army, wrote a letter to the Punjab government in December 2022, in which it was said that there are sand dunes on the 24 thousand 147 kanal agricultural land given under the Pakistan Army Welfare Schemes; hence, there is non-availability of saline water. Being in the river bed and litigation is involved, it is again asked to provide alternative agricultural land. He further requested that new agricultural land be provided in the districts of Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, Muzaffargarh and Khanewal. On this request, the Board of Revenue sought reports on the availability of land from the District Collectors of the concerned districts and MD Cholistan Development Authority; accordingly, all the authorities had no objection to including the required land in the military schedule—Board of Revenue (Colonization Department) has forwarded that under Section 10(1) of the Lands Act, 1912, the Provincial Cabinet has the power to place land in the Military Schedule.

On this subject, the Chief Secretary of Punjab sought the opinion of the Law Department before sending the summary to the Chief Minister of Punjab, who said in his opinion that the provincial government should lease the state land to any federal institution, agency and body at the market rate for five years. It can also sell at market rate plus a 10% surcharge. Recently, the Punjab government has provided 15 thousand acres of land in the military schedule to the families of the martyrs and the injured of all ranks with the approval of the provincial cabinet. The issue was placed before Chief Minister Punjab for approval, which the Chief Minister Punjab approved to keep the matter for consideration in the provincial cabinet for the provision of land to the Pakistan Army. A senior official of the Chief Minister’s House said that a meeting of the provincial cabinet is expected soon in which approval will be given to give 24 thousand 147 kanals of agricultural land to the Pakistan Army. According to the records of the Board of Revenue Punjab, the Punjab government has provided 1199344 kanals of agricultural land under the Army Welfare Schemes in the past to provide agricultural land to retired army officers and families of martyrs. A senior official of the Board of Revenue said that now alternative land is being provided to Pakistan Army under the Army Welfare Schemes for retired officers of various ranks at government rates.