Builders to be investigated over nullah ‘plotting’

DC, Operations DIG directed to observe zero tolerance policy against land mafia

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Chief Commissioner Aamir Ali Ahmed tasked the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hamza Shafqaat and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Operations Waqaruddin Syed on Thursday to carry out an investigation against the owners of Ghauri Town for filling up the Koral nullah for plotting purposes.

The Islamabad police registered a case against the owners of Ghauri Town, including Chaudhry Muhammad Usman and Imran Aslam, at the Koral police station. Sources told The Express Tribune that the measure has been taken after recurrent complaints regarding land grabbing in the capital territory. Ahmed directed both officials to observe a zerotolerance policy against the land mafia that is trying to play with the lives of people by narrowing down the watercourse.

Both officials have been directed to ensure merit in the investigation against the owners and further instructed to review records of all previous investigations carried out against the suspects. The DC and DIG will also probe into which police officials granted the concession to the powerful suspects in different cases while also identifying policemen having alleged relations with members of the land mafia. Previously, Prime Minister Imran Khan had also taken notice of the media reports identifying different land grabbing and encroachment incidents in the federal capital.

Revenue Ex-Additional Deputy Commissioner (AIG) Waseem Ahmed had compiled a 45-page report following the notice of the premier which was forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat. Sources informed that the owners of Ghauri Town have previously committed the same offense of filling up nullahs for plotting, owing to which flooding occurred in the capital during the monsoon spell while residents of Ghauri Town Phases III and IV were rescued by the Army helicopters.

In this regard, Ghauri Town Green Spire Director Imran Aslam claimed that the Koral Police were framing up fake cases against them as they have refused to bribe the officils. He added that they started construction of a boundary wall along the bank of the Koral nullah on the residents’ demands.