Islamabad, Feb 3 The dream of millions of Pakistanis working in other nations is shattered not due to distance but by betrayal. Pakistani expats often end up losing their inheritances or life's savings through frauds and unsuccessful efforts to take back their properties which have illegal occupation, a report has detailed.
A 40 per cent of Pakistanis working in other nations face property disputes, with illegal occupation and land grabbing at home being the most common offences. These are not only legal issues but violation of any trust that may be present between the state and people whose remittances are often the only thing that keep Pakistan from going bankrupt, according to an editorial published in Pakistan's leading daily 'The Express Tribune'.
The pattern followed in this remains consistent with unscrupulous relatives, local criminals, corrupt bureaucrats, forged documents, bribes and violence coming together to take possession of vacated homes and lands.
"The properties range from high-value urban homes and commercial units to agricultural lands well away from any government oversight, but the impact on the rightful owners is the same, as expats often end up losing their inheritances or life's savings through the fraud and ensuing drawn-out — and often unsuccessful — efforts to take back possession," The Express Tribune stated.
"The immense emotional and financial toll, coupled with renewed mistrust of the country by many expats who left out of desperation, is unaffordable for the government if it wants to project an image as a secure destination for foreign investment," it added.
Pakistan's government has announced initiatives like the federal Overseas Property Act 2024 and similar provincial laws, which promise expeditious resolutions to disputes. However, the ground reality is quite different. On paper, special courts must resolve cases within 60 days but several obstructions need to be cleared to register a case, according to the leading daily. The timeframe appears more like a suggestion than a deadline when the legal case starts. Furthermore, verdicts announced by courts do not guarantee that illegal occupants will be evicted from the property.
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