The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has uncovered 900 suspected bogus property registrations in a revenue estate in Gujranwala. The alleged irregularities may have caused a loss of more than Rs114.86 million to the provincial government.
ACE Gujranwala Region Director Amjad Shehzad said the investigation followed complaints about irregularities in revenue records. The complaints concerned Mouza Ladhiawala Warraich in Gujranwala.
ACE teams took relevant revenue records into custody for detailed examination. Officials reviewed 4,987 mutations involving different land transactions conducted during the past two years. The investigation identified 900 mutations with suspected Fake Property registrations.
Shehzad said several documents contained suspicious differences in stamp paper values. Some documents showed stamp papers valued above Rs3,000. However, online verification reportedly showed the actual value was only Rs500.
The investigation also found differences in property records. Names of buyers and sellers on physical documents allegedly differed from online records. Officials are examining these discrepancies as part of the ongoing inquiry.
According to the ACE director, the suspected Fake Property registrations caused an estimated loss of Rs114.865 million. The amount includes taxes, duties and other government revenue allegedly affected by the irregularities.
ACE has started questioning revenue officials who served in the area during the relevant period. The inquiry includes tehsildars and patwaris whose signatures appeared on disputed registrations.
The officials named in the investigation include Tehsildars Sarfraz Cheema, Altaf Hussain Tarar, Arshad Dhullo and Imtiaz Sahi. Patwaris Bilal Butt and Mustafa Mann are also being investigated.
Shehzad further alleged that a private mechanism was involved in site verification. He said teams recorded videos during site visits and allegedly raised objections. Additional fees were reportedly charged after these objections.
Assistant commissioners posted in Gujranwala Sadar will also face questioning. The inquiry covers officials serving between July 1, 2024, and May 4, 2026.
Authorities will examine why the suspected Fake Property registrations were not detected earlier. They will also assess how the alleged revenue loss occurred.
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Around 1,800 buyers and sellers may be affected by the investigation. The ACE said these individuals would be given an opportunity to present their positions. The inquiry is ongoing, and further action will depend on its findings.
