Despite complaints: Police turn blind eye to land grabbers

Illegal cattle grazing, tree cutting continues at NIH property

ISLAMABAD: Land grabbers backed by well-known local politicians have occupied Capital Development Authority (CDA) property near the National Institute of Health (NIH) housing colony.

The situation, according to a senior NIH official, has not been resolved despite repeated complaints to CDA over the past seven years.

The property is being used by NIH and faces security threats due to the encroachers.

The official, requesting anonymity, informed that whenever they try to get the police or CDA to take action, they start receiving calls from politicians requesting that the issue be left aside. Moreover, the Bani Gala police have not been forthcoming.

The official told The Express Tribune that the illegal occupants have been using the land as a cattle grazing area during the day, and are illegally felling trees at night.

“Recently our guards caught a couple of men cutting trees and immediately called the police, but the response was very slow. We only managed to get them arrested on the spot because a police patrol van was passing by,” the official said, adding that they were released soon after the arrest.

The official was of the view that the Bani Gala police have been reluctant to take any serious action, adding that a complaint was submitted but they are still trying to get an FIR registered.

CDA Enforcement Deputy Director Imadud Din said that he has no information on the issue, but will look into it and take serious action against any encroachers.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2015.