The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has arrested the owner of Theme Park, an illegal housing project built on the riverbed of the Ravi that was completely submerged during last week’s flooding.
An ACE spokesperson said on Wednesday that Khushi Muhammad, the scheme’s owner, had developed the project on 12,000 kanals of river land and sold residential plots through fraudulent practices.
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He noted that the housing scheme did not meet legal requirements, lacked basic infrastructure such as a sewage system, and was situated entirely within the riverbed, making it highly vulnerable to flooding.
According to the spokesperson, Theme Park was never approved by any relevant authority. ACE has now requested records of other housing schemes established on the Ravi riverbed from the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) and the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to determine further legal action.
He stressed that construction on river land is prohibited and said action will also be taken against other illegal projects in the area.
A source familiar with the case revealed that Khushi Muhammad was once a police constable before launching the Theme Park scheme on a small tract of land. Over time, he expanded it by exploiting loopholes and acquiring riverbed property.
The source alleged that Muhammad transferred billions of rupees abroad. While fraudulent housing schemes are usually investigated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), ACE moved in first in this case.
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