Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Inam Ghani on Friday said that land grabbing mafia illegally occupying government lands and private property in all districts of the province do not deserve any concession, and ordered the police to intensify the ongoing operation against the mafia regardless of their status.
The Punjab Police Chief directed the police to provide all possible support to all government departments in such operations and other related matters.
IG Punjab expressed these views while presiding over a meeting to review the ongoing operation and police operations against the Land Mafia across the province.
During the meeting Additional IG Establishment Azhar Hameed Khokhar, Additional IG PHP Shahid Hanif, Additional IG Welfare and Finance Farooq Mazhar, Additional IG Operations Sahibzada Shehzad Sultan, Additional IG Procurement Ali Amir Malik, DIG Operations Sohail Sukhera and other officers were also present.
During the meeting, details of lands vacated in collaboration with police teams and other government agencies from the land grabbers across the province, were reviewed.
The IG directed all RPOs, CPOs and DPOs to maintain close liaison with the district administration and concerned agencies during the crackdown to retrieve occupied Govt. and private properties while continuing operations under zero tolerance against mafias involved in illegal occupations.
Expressing satisfaction over the performance on the ongoing operation against the land grabbing mafia, IGP issued instructions to all RPOs and DPOs and said that while maintaining the momentum of the operation, strict measures should not be avoided against land mafias and criminal elements and the operation should be supervised by the supervisory officers themselves.
He said that land grabbers and criminal elements are a curse in a society which is not only a menace to the noble citizens but also a cause to challenge the writ of the government, hence all possible steps should be taken keeping an eye on the operations against them.
Additional IG Operations Sahibzada Shehzad Sultan while briefing IG Punjab said that during the ongoing operations so far 55,286 acres of government and private lands worth over 132.73 billion have been retrieved in different districts while in other regions and districts of the province, illegally occupied lands have also been retrieved from Land grabbers.
IG Operations added that Lahore police has retrieved 2,336 kanals of land worth Rs 47.2 billion while Khanewal police has relinquished 110 kanals of land worth Rs 265 million. DG Khan Police retrieved 24,039 acres worth over Rs.6 billion while Okara police have relinquished 899 acres of government land worth Rs.1,939 million.
He further noted that Jhang police has retrieved 4,492 acres worth Rs.6,744 million while Bahawalpur police has retrieved 1,42 acres of government land worth Rs.6,649 million. Multan police have retrieved over 2200 kanals worth over Rs.400 million while Vehari police have retrieved 64 acres of government land. Chiniot police have relinquished 1,051 acres worth Rs 1,786 million while Sheikhupura police have relinquished 1,027 acres of government land worth Rs.3,870 million from the land grabbers. Faisalabad police have retrieved more than 6,045 acres of agricultural, commercial and industrial land from land mafia having worth of Rs.48.24 billion.
The IG Operations further noted that Mianwali police has retrieved 1,938 acres of land worth Rs.3,772 million rupees while Gujarat police has retrieved 325 kanals of government land. Bahawalnagar police have retrieved 31 acres worth crores while Sargodha police have retrieved 24 acres of agricultural land. Rajanpur police retrieved 1,563 acres land worth of RS. 348 million while Mandi Bahauddin police retrieved 3217 kanals land worth 1,640 million rupees. Kasur police retrieved 36,000 kanals worth Rs. 4000 million while Sahiwal police retrieved 1,297 kanals government lands worth Rs.1,363 million rupees. Nankana Police retrieved 28,278 kanals of land worth Rs, 4621 million rupees whereas Muzaffar Garh Police retrieved 30 thousand kanal jungle.
He further said that indiscriminate operations are being carried out in other districts of the province in this regard as well.
The IG Punjab directed to expedite the operations to eradicate illegal occupation of agricultural, commercial and industrial lands across the province and said that the occupiers of property and government lands of the citizens especially overseas Pakistanis should be dealt with iron fists under Zero Tolerance and these operations should be carried out in collaboration with other government departments to eradicate illegal occupation of public and private property.
He further said that the legal documents of every step taken in the operations against the mafia should be made a part of the record, and the action should be kept transparent and merit based while weekly progress reports of the actions taken across the province, should be sent to the central police office regularly.
