Lahore: The land belonging to a temple has illegally been occupied at the behest of a top bureaucrat in Pakistan’s Punjab province, a senior leader of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s party has claimed.

The temple — Sanatan Dharam Mandir — is located in Bhalwal, some 250 kilometres from Lahore.

PPP leader’s post on X

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senior leader Nadeem Afzal Chan in a video posted on X alleged that the land of the temple in Bhalwal has been illegally occupied at the behest of Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman.

Chan, who is a close aide of PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, also alleged that not only this land, but several acres of land of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) in Bhera and Kot Momin in Sargodha (some 200 km from Lahore) have also been illegally occupied by the nephews of the chief secretary.

The ETPB looks after the holy places of minorities in Pakistan.

“I have spoken to many bureaucrats who told me that the nephews of the chief secretary are involved in occupying the temple’s land in these three areas. All are naming two lawmakers who happen to be nephews of the chief secretary,” he said.

Chan said that if the chief secretary’s name is being misused, then he should take action against the land grabbers.

Meanwhile, the chief secretary chose not to comment on the matter.

A source in the ETPB told PTI that the land of the temple in question has been occupied in connivance with some officials of the board.

“The grabbers of the land have started building a plaza on it,” he said.

On the other hand, ETPB secretary Farid Iqbal said the board has issued a notice to those involved in the construction at the site of the temple.

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