India auctions land linked to Pakistan's late military ruler Musharraf

A piece of land in northern India that belonged to the family of Pakistan’s late military ruler Pervez Musharraf is up for sale, according to Indian media reports.

The land, which spans over three hectares, in Kotana Bangar village in the state of Uttar Pradesh, is being auctioned, the Indian Express reported.

The sale is being enabled by the Enemy Property Act, which allows the government to appropriate property owned by Pakistani nationals. The online auction is set to close on September 12.

Large-scale migration occurred between the two countries after the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan. In 1962, the Indian government passed a law allowing it to confiscate the property of individuals and companies who took Pakistani nationality.

According to locals, Musharraf’s ancestors lived in the village. After Partition, the family moved to Pakistan, but their ancestral home and land remained in Kotana.

Musharraf’s parents, Begum Zareen and Musharrafuddin, were married in the village but moved to Delhi in 1943, where Musharraf was born, according to the Urdu portal Qaumi Awaz.

Army officials and civilians attend the funeral of the Pakistan's former President Pervez Musharraf at Malir Garrison in Karachi, Pakistan February 7, 2023.Reuters

After seizing power in a 1999 coup, Musharraf became the 10^th President of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008.

His tenure was marked by a close alliance with the United States, particularly in the context of the war on terror. He faced criticism and legal challenges related to the dismissal of judges and the imposition of martial law.

BBC reported that by 2008, “the career soldier had suffered defeat at the polls and was forced from office. His political career ultimately ended in disgrace and arrest: he was sentenced to death in absentia for treason in 2019.”

The general was allowed to leave Pakistan in 2016 to receive medical treatment, which meant the sentence was unlikely ever to be carried out. However, it was a humiliating first for the military, which has ruled the country for long spells.

“In June 2022, following premature reports Musharraf had died in Dubai, his family announced there was little chance he would recover from multiple organ failure linked to a rare disease from which he suffered, amyloidosis,” BBC added.

‘Enemy properties’ in India

To date, about 9,500 ‘enemy properties’ have been identified in India, according to PRS India, a New Delhi-based research center.

The majority belong to Pakistani citizens from the time of the wars and are valued at over 1,04,339 crore Indian rupees ($12,428 million).

Pakistan formed the Evacuee Trust to deal with the properties left behind by Indians who migrated. They were used to resettle Muslim refugees or sold to generate revenue. Religious properties were placed under the trust for preservation.