Illegal deals fuel state land encroachments
Large swathes of state-owned land have been swallowed by illegal housing schemes and commercial activity, raising serious questions over the protection of public property. Official records show the scale of the problem: nearly half of the 2,325 acres owned by Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in the city has been identified as encroached.
The AJK state owns 1,400 acres in Mauza Sultanpura and another 925 acres in Rampura, near the Wagah Border. Audit records show seven housing schemes occupying 71 acres, 4 kanals and 11 marlas of state land, while encroachments have also been identified over 361 kanals in Sultanpura and 118 kanals and 10 marlas in Rehmanpura. Officials said at least four illegal housing schemes had been established on the land.
Residents in areas where the state-owned land has been occupied have, however, claimed various forms of possession. An Express Tribune investigation found that land in Jallo, which was once largely vacant, is now occupied by shops and houses. Some residents claimed they held leases, while others reportedly acquired plots through transactions allegedly carried out on stamp papers involving millions of rupees. The legality of these claims has yet to be verified.
Lahore High Court lawyer Ishtiaq Chaudhry said government-land encroachments often develop gradually through weak land records, unauthorised construction, utility connections and private transactions. "Stamp-paper agreements do not transfer government land; ownership or leases depend on official records and competent authorities' orders. Allegations against officials require evidence and formal inquiry before responsibility can be established."
Residents also said prolonged failure by authorities to monitor state land, demarcate boundaries and maintain accurate records allows encroachments to expand. Mauza Sultanpura resident Mian Abdul Rehman revealed that once construction takes place on encroached land, its recovery becomes increasingly difficult and disputes can end up moving between courts and government departments.
The issue has now drawn renewed attention from the Senate Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), which has accelerated efforts to recover AJK state properties and remove encroachments.
Committee Chairman Senator Asad Qasim said administrative negligence had contributed to the encroachments and vowed that illegally occupied land would be recovered. He also said records of the properties would be fully digitised to strengthen protection of state assets.
Qasim personally inspected AJK state properties in Lahore in July. According to Senate records, the committee also visited state properties near the Wagah Border on July 17. A complaint has meanwhile been filed with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the relevant administrator, while the committee has directed officials to keep it regularly informed about progress in the matter. The committee has ordered that all AJK state properties be geotagged, their records fully digitised, boundaries clearly demarcated and boundary structures constructed. Administrator Adnan Khan said geofencing of the state land had been completed and the rent-collection system had also been digitised. A total of 36 personnel are currently available to monitor the properties across Punjab.
The AJK state also owns 1,057 acres of agricultural land in Mauza Jangu Chak, Narowal, and 906 acres in Mauza Purab, Sheikhupura. Its holdings further include around 242 kanals of commercial land in Lahore and properties in Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Sialkot and Gujranwala. Collectively, these properties generate approximately Rs280.98 million (Rs28.098 crore) in annual lease income. Senator Qasim said the committee would submit recommendations to the federal government to strengthen protection of state land, eliminate encroachments and improve coordination among the institutions responsible for managing the properties.