NAB seeks reply from Shahbaz in Lal Sohanra case.

MULTAN -- The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has asked former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif to reply till May 18 to a questionnaire in connection with the allegedly illegal allotment of 14,400 kanal state land to 144 affectees of the Lal Sohanra National Park, Bahawalpur.

Besides Mr Sharif, former federal minister Baleeghur Rehman, Advocate Chaudhry Umer Mahmood and officer and officials of the Cholistan Development Authority are also being probed in the case.

In December, the NAB executive board authorised inquiry into 15 complaints, including the Lal Sohanra Park case wherein state land was allotted illegally to people.

'NAB is conducting the subject inquiry under the provision of NAO 1999 in the matter of illegal allotment of state land measuring 14,400 kanals to 144 people as effectees (sic) of Lal Sohanra National Park, Bahawalpur. In this regard, please find enclosed herewith a questionnaire elaborating your role in the said allotment and queries to be responded through written statement furnished to this bureau by May 18, 2020,' stated the notice issued by NAB Multan Additional Director Staff Syed Rizwan Hussain Shah to Mr Sharif on May 6.

According to NAB sources, the Lal Sohanra National Park was established over 163,000 acres in 1975, but compensatory land was allotted to the affectees many years later. In 2012, a list of 238 affectees had been notified and later 12.5 acre each was...