Govt made recoveries worth Rs210bn from Punjab in 2.5 years: Shahzad Akbar

• Shahzad Akbar claims Rs210 billion recovered from Punjab in two-and-a-half years
• "Rs24bn worth of recoveries were made from 36 PML-N members, from whom 8,085 acres of land was taken back," Akbar adds
  
• Says former prime minister Nawaz Sharif "promoted Changa Manga politics" and "politics of money" during PML-N's tenure

Adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Accountability Shahzad Akbar on Sunday claimed that the government has made recoveries worth Rs210 billion from Punjab over the course of the past two-and-a-half years.

He claimed that of the amount, Rs24bn worth of recoveries were made from 36 PML-N members, from whom 8,085 acres of land was taken back.

"This is the reality behind the hue and cry being raised by the PML-N," he said, as he addressed a press conference in Islamabad.

Akbar said the party was accusing the government of exacting political revenge simply to save their own skins.

He spoke of the land razed by the Lahore Development Authority where the Khokhar brothers had established "Khokhar Palace". "They had grabbed land belonging to the government worth Rs1.5bn," he said.

LDA launches operation against 'illegal construction' at Khokhar palace

He said that besides the recovery from the Khokhars, land worth Rs92.5 million was also taken back from Khurram Dastagir, "which has been turned into a public park".

Akbar said what remains now is for the government to collect "penal rent" worth Rs5 billion.

Discussing further recoveries, he said that land worth Rs7 billion was taken back from Chaudhry Tanveer and 2,400 kanals worth Rs2.5 billion from Daniyal Aziz.

Moreover, 8 kanals 2 marlas of government land were recovered from Javed Latif; land worth Rs2 billion was taken back from Abid Sher Ali; and 70 acres of land worth millions was also recovered from Maiza Hameed's husband, he said.

Among other leaders he named, according to Radio Pakistan are Mudasar Qayum Nahra, and Mir Badshah Qaisrani.

Punjab's anti-corruption drive led to 532% increase in recoveries, says Shahzad Akbar

Akbar said that a common man cannot "occupy government lands" and that these are "powerful people".

He said these recoveries "were not an easy task" but Punjab government's performance over the past two-and-a-half years has been "excellent".

The premier's adviser said all the land taken back was either forest land or agricultural and will be put to use for the welfare of the people.

He said work is underway to raze an "illegal plaza" in Sialkot, adding that Khwaja Asif "has also occupied a housing society".

Akbar, recalling the PML-N's rule, said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif "promoted Changa Manga politics" and "politics of money" at the time.

He said this is why the Supreme Court of Pakistan had used the word "mafia" in its judgment when Nawaz was disqualified.

The premier's adviser said that if one were to ask Nawaz what his ideology is, "he won't be able to answer".

Correction: An earlier version of the story erroneously stated that recoveries worth Rs210bn have been made from 36 PML-N members. The error is regretted.