Rawalpindi: Land mafia kicked out of Chinar Park

[Naveed Yaseen]

* TMA launches grand operation on directives of Punjab CM
* Illegal structures covered seven kanals of land

RAWAWALPINDI: Rawal Town Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) has kicked out land mafia from Chinar Park by carrying out a grand operation to demolish illegal structures built by them over public property. These structures spanned over seven kanals of land.

The operation was conducted on the special directives of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Rawalpindi Commissioner Zahid Saeed, and District Coordination Officer (DCO) Imdadullah Bosal.

The mafia agents tried to stop the demolition operation and hurled bricks on TMA staff as well as the local residents.

The land mafia had deputed armed men at the children park for the last several months to build illegal structures and keep children away from playing in the park. The land that covered these structures valued over Rs 120 million.

The TMA used three heavy machines to raze the huge two-storey building and five-feet high walls to the ground.

The residents, especially children and women, thanked the government for saving the park in Satellite Town that contained rare Chinar (Maple) trees.

The operation was supervised by Town Officer Aftab Chohan while EDO (Muncipal Services).

Chohan said the park’s possession was taken back from the land mafia with assistance of Enforcement Building Control, Horticulture, and Anti-Encroachment Department officials. The park is now fully under control of Rawal Town TMA, he said.

Chohan said the land mafia showed court orders for a different Khasra number to occupy the 50-year old children park and sold it to a number of buyers. The park was demarcated twice, which proved that the land mafia’s possession and construction was absolutely illegal. app

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg11_4