Senate panel finds 27 illegal housing societies on Lahore state land

A Senate subcommittee has found 27 housing societies on land recorded as belonging to Jammu and Kashmir State in Lahore, with plots in them reportedly sold to buyers who did not know who owns the land.

The finding came during inspections of state properties on 10 and 11 November by the Senate Subcommittee on Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan, States and Frontier Regions, according to a report by Minute Mirror. The three-day proceedings of the parent Senate Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan, States and Frontier Regions concluded in Lahore.

Senator Nasir Mahmood Butt, the subcommittee's convenor, led the delegation. Senators Naseema Ehsan and Nadeem Bhutto accompanied him. They inspected Jammu and Kashmir State properties in Sultanpuri, Rehmanpura and Nolakha Bazaar.

Officials briefing the senators said plots in the 27 societies were being sold to the public and that some buyers had already built houses on the land. Many of those buyers, the committee was told, were unaware that the land is officially recorded as belonging to Jammu and Kashmir State.

The committee said the legal status of all 27 societies needs detailed examination, covering ownership of the land, the sale and purchase of plots and the documents behind those transactions. Members said buyers who believed they had bought lawfully could lose their savings or face legal action over property they do not legally own.

The inspection also covered unauthorised construction, illegal occupation and encroachment on state properties, and the rental income those properties generate. Records on how the properties are managed were reviewed. The committee did not disclose any confirmed amount of financial loss, misappropriated rental income or money collected through plot sales.

Senators said Jammu and Kashmir State properties are public assets that must be protected against illegal construction and unauthorised occupation, and called for their management to be transparent.

Authorities briefed the delegation on the condition of the properties, administrative matters and the records available for examination, the report said.