Pak illegal Gurudwara land transfer 'whistleblower' demoted

Islamabad, Apr.22 (ANI): A Pakistani official of joint secretary rank in the Ministry of Minorities had to face the wrath of his seniors for exposing an illegal transfer of Gurudwara land to the Defence Housing Society (DHA) by the Evacuee Trust Board of Pakistan (ETBP).

Munir Ahmed Chaudhry paid the price for blowing the whistle on the 'dirty' land transfer deal, when he was transferred from the ministry and demoted to an officer on special duty (OSD) rank by the Establishment Division (ED).

The issue of transfer of 575 kanals of Sikh Gurdwara land to DHA, Lahore was even raised in the Indian Parliament in December last year, with New Delhi asking Islamabad to investigate the issue regarding the illegal transfer of minorities land.

Following India's concerns, the Minorities Ministry had appointed Chaudhry to head a two member inquiry committee, which later conformed that the land transfer was indeed illegal, dirty and should be reviewed to 'save Pakistan's image,' The News reports.

Meanwhile, Secretary Minorities Ministry, Javed Akhtar, has defended Munir's sudden transfer, and said it had nothing to do with the land transfer report.

When asked that how Munir was made an OSD on the day the report was published in the daily, Akhtar reiterated that it had nothing to with the findings of the inquiry report, and that his transfer orders were sent days ago.

ED's Secretary, Ismail Qureshi, has refused to speak over the issue. (ANI)