By Editor Investigation, Sub News
Islamabad, September 18,2026: Acting on the directions of the Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Director General NAB Multan Asim Lodhi has taken action in the Thal Development Authority (TDA) land case, with an ongoing inquiry uncovering a major discrepancy in the official record of land acquired for the authority.
According to the inquiry, official revenue records provided by the Board of Revenue (BOR) showed that only 463,406 acres had been acquired for TDA across five districts—Kot Addu, Layyah, Bhakkar, Mianwali and Khushab. However, the NAB inquiry, supported by original notifications, established that the actual acquired area was 1,016,126 acres, revealing a discrepancy of approximately 552,000 acres.
The inquiry further found that the system for verification and maintenance of land records had allegedly been compromised. In Kot Addu, the complete records of three mouzas are reportedly missing, while records relating to five mouzas in Bhakkar have also been found missing.
The findings from Layyah, according to the inquiry, provide a detailed example of the alleged irregularities involving state land. Although a notification had been issued for 566,360 acres, the district’s adjustment registers reflected only around 528,000 acres, while 254,662 acres were shown as TDA land.
The inquiry found that various disposal schemes were used in the transfer and adjustment of large areas of land, including the Abadkari Scheme, Auction Scheme, Fixed Price Scheme, Numberdari Scheme and Servant Grants, among others.
During the inquiry, approximately 23,000 acres of land were allegedly found to have been illegally adjusted through fake files described as “Nathi Bay” files. Of this, 5,000 acres have reportedly been mutated back in the revenue record in the name of TDA, while the process for recovery or transfer of the remaining land is underway.
Similarly, 6,100 acres were allegedly transferred on the basis of fake RL-II claims, which were subsequently declared fake by the Board of Revenue. The process for recovery of this land is also reportedly in progress.
The inquiry also examined land transferred to the Forest Department. According to the record, 47,133 acres had been allocated to the department, but scrutiny showed that only 34,879 acres had actually been mutated in its name. The inquiry alleges that approximately 12,062 acres of TDA land were subsequently misappropriated.
In another case, 710 acres of land were allegedly misappropriated in the name of PHATA, while 46 acres of TDA land in Layyah were allegedly transferred to Layyah Sugar Mills through the fraudulent use of a fake Fard Bai.
In Bhakkar, the Forest Department had purchased 12,000 acres from TDA in 1971. However, according to the inquiry, instead of being mutated in the name of the Forest Department, the land was allegedly misappropriated. The inquiry states that NAB’s efforts have resulted in the recovery of this land.
The inquiry is continuing, while further examination of revenue records and the process of cancellation and recovery of allegedly fraudulent land transactions is underway.
