Operation to get 5,049 acres of land evacuated facing hurdles


Rawalpindi: The operation of Pakistan Railways to get the possession of 5,049 acres of land from encroachers throughout the country is facing hiccups, as the department has been able get only 190 acres of land evacuated from illegal occupants since the launch of the drive in the first week of February 2012.

This was revealed by an official of the Pakistan Railways Headquarters, Lahore, on condition of anonymity.

Prior to this, Pakistan Railways Director Property and Land (Rawalpindi) Ibrar Naqvi claimed that till now the encroachment branch had completed 40 percent evacuation work of Railways land in Rawalpindi division.

He also claimed that the evacuation work would be completed by March 15. He dispelled the impression created among the public that operation has been launched only against the poor and non-influential occupants claiming Pakistan Railways had adopted a very strong attitude towards illegal commercial and agricultural land occupants.

Clearing the fact, Ibrar Naqvi said that in a three-week time in Rawalpindi division including Jhelum, Mandi Bahaudin, Khushab, Gujrat, Lala Musa, Taxila and Rawalpindi, Pakistan Railways had retrieved 8.536 acres of residential land from illegal occupants, valued around Rs262 million. While 1.666 acres of commercial land has been retrieved, valued at Rs207 million.

Talking about the agricultural land, he said that the operation could not be conducted because the illegal occupants had approached the court and cases were pending over there. “As soon as the court gives rulings, the illegal occupants in agricultural land of Railways would also be displaced through fresh operations. In Rawalpindi division only, a total 25.6 acres of land, including residential, commercial and agricultural, had been illegally occupied,” he added.