According to the media reports, Raheel Sharif was given the land worth 1.35 billion rupees (12 million euros) by the country’s army without consulting the civilian government.

Pakistan’s “The News International” newspaper cited defense sources as saying there was nothing “unusual” about the allocation of the agricultural land to Raheel Sharif, as military commanders receive such perks after their retirement.

But pro-democracy activists and groups have accused the South Asian country’s powerful military of corruption and exceeding its constitutional boundaries. They also say the military has no regard for the rule of law.

Raheel Sharif’s land controversy comes at a time when the country’s civilian Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gave a go-ahead to an investigation into a corruption scandal involving the brother of General Ashfaq Kayani, Raheel Sharif’s predecessor.

But more significantly, PM Nawaz Sharif himself is facing a trial in the Supreme Court over his alleged links with offshore companies. Though the PM and his family deny any wrongdoing, there is a huge uproar in Pakistan, with opposition parties and the military’s supporters demanding his resignation, claiming the premier evaded taxes through these firms.

With regard to these serious allegations against the elected premier, rights campaigners say that while corruption is rampant in both civilian and military spheres, only politicians have been punished by the courts; army generals usually get off scot-free.