Civic bodies to swoop down on land grabbers in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD:

A day after an armed clash over a land dispute in Bani Gala that left one dead and three injured, the city managers have decided to launch a drive against land grabbers in the federal capital.

An action plan against the occupant mafia in the capital has been finalised, under which, the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) will jointly take action against land mafia and groups behind encroachment.

The ICTA and the CDA have formed a committee to launch a crackdown against the occupant mafia which will take prompt action on the complaints of citizens against land grabbers on a daily basis.

ICTA Collector Land Kamran Cheema and Islamabad Police SP Farhat Kazmi are part of the committee.

Legal action will be taken to recover the illegally occupied government land, CDA officers told The Express Tribune.

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 Authorities have particularly targeted organised groups of land grabbers in Tarnol, Bahara Kahu, and Jhangi Sayyedan.

The committee has been tasked to promptly resolve applications moved by the citizens in police stations and on the public complaint website https:// citizenportal.gov.pk, officials said. In view of these steps, the Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat has slapped a ban on the permits of using tinted windows in vehicles and carrying weapons.

All existing arms carrying permits stand cancelled till further orders, as per the directives of DC Shafqaat.

The ban will help monitor the movement of the vehicles and weapons used by the occupation mafia and the incidents of harassing citizens to give up their properties and sell their real estate at throwaway prices.

Bani Gala clash

 Police have registered a case against the killing of a man during a land dispute in the Bani Gala area on Thursday on the complaint of Syed Tassaduq Hussain Shah. Police have booked the nominated suspects under terrorism, murder, and attempt to murder charges.

 Police have arrested at least 18 suspects in the case. Meanwhile, the top brass of the capital police suspended Bani Gala police station SHO for backing one party after the murder incident in the clash. They have appointed Tipu Sultan as the new SHO of the Bani Gala police station.

On Thursday, Chaudhry Gulbaz was shot and killed during an armed clash between two armed groups over a piece of disputed land in Bani Gala.

 Anti-encroachment drive

 The Enforcement Directorate of CDA, while conducting operations in different parts of the city, demolished several illegal structures established illegally on state land. The officials of the Enforcement Directorate were assisted by the ICTA and police and other formations concerned of the authority, said a press release.

 During operations conducted on Friday, teams of the Enforcement Directorate demolished three cattle sheds, a single-room house and a boundary wall constructed illegally in the Narrel Village near the Quaid-i-Azam University.

During another action, the Enforcement Directorate demolished a house being constructed illegally in Mauza Jaba Teli on state land. Similarly, the staff of the Enforcement Directorate demolished two rooms, nine cattle sheds, four huts, and three washrooms in the Sector H-9.