A British citizen of Pakistan origin and Vice President of Pakistan-UK Trade Forum, Mohammad UsmanSiddiqui at a press conference here Friday accused that his ancestral land (Khasra No. 129) in the Azad Jammu & Kashmir’s (AJK) village Gajriyan has been illegally occupied and the local police and the administration instead of supporting were bent on harassing and making things difficult for him.
He stated that despite a court stay, the accused parties have violated the order and constructed unlawful encroachments on the property.
Siddiqui said he arrived in Pakistan to attend IDEAS 2024 on the invitation of the Government of Pakistan and gave details about the high handedness he was facing by the local police and the administration of the AJK.
Addressing the press conference alongside Mr. Rauf Raja, Vice President Ayesha Khan and Member Muhammad Nawaz Basra, he said that upon his arrival in Pakistan on November 9, 2024, he faced harassment and obstructions. “False FIRs were registered against me in collaboration with the police in Azad Kashmir, aiming to damage my reputation,” he said adding one of these FIRs, dated November 7, 2024, was filed prior to his arrival in Pakistan. This led to my illegal arrest, harassment, and damage to his property, said UsmanSiddiqui.
Siddiqui further mentioned that on November 13, 2024, his property was forcibly occupied, wires and CCTV cameras were damaged, and his vehicle was unlawfully seized. He also accused Assistant Commissioner Tanveer of issuing verbal threats and preventing his entry into Koi Ratta without any legal grounds.
What message we are giving to the overseas Pakistanis by such acts, he asked a simple question.
The issue has been reported to the SSP of Kotli, where it was noted that subordinate staff, under the influence of the occupier named NazakatHussain, manipulated reports to support the encroachers, he said accusing that NazakatHussain, who works in the Revenue Department, has been meddling with the land records, changing the Khasra number from 129 to 128, and using his position to harass Siddiqui and his family by filing false cases and pressuring them into withdrawing their legal complaints.
Siddiqui has requested the authorities to help him and take disciplinary action against the accused and cancel the fabricated cases filed against him. He urged that the relevant authorities take swift action in accordance with the law.
In response to a question, Mohammad UsmanSiddiqui emphasized the challenges facing foreign investment in Pakistan, highlighting that local police and administration’s attitudes and the exploitation of overseas Pakistanis through legal entanglements continue to remain a significant hurdle. He expressed that overseas Pakistanis who wish to invest in their homeland face continuous harassment and legal threats from individuals with influence and the matter should be looked into by the government on a priority basis.
