Daily Times

Pakistan Railways’ major portion of around 9,986 acres of land worth billion of rupees was found under illegal occupation of private, individual and different government departments across the country.

“Around 3,287 acres were occupied in Punjab, 832 acres under encroachment in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, 5,180 acres in Sindh and 687 acres land was occupied in Balochistan,” an official of the Ministry told APP.

However, he said Pakistan Railways had retrieved as many as 955 acres of its land worth Rs 19, 603 million during various anti-encroachment operations across the country in the last five years. “Around 476 acres retrieved in Punjab, 133 acres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 327 acres in Sindh and only 19 acres in Balochistan acres land had been retrieved by the Pakistan Railways,” he said.

He said about 3,287 acres in Punjab, 832 acres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5,180 acres in Sindh, and 687 acres of land in Balochistan was encroached. The official said in light of the Supreme Court’s orders, the anti-encroachment operations for retrieval of encroached railway land all over the railway network were initiated and a joint procedure order was issued to all divisional superintendents. “The anti-encroachment schedules, on a three months basis, are being prepared and sent to all concerned in line with the joint procedure order,” the official added.

He said Pakistan Railways had also decided to accelerate its ongoing anti-encroachment operation against land grabbers across the country to recoup its land from different individuals, groups, and even business organizations who were using it for residential, commercial, and agriculture purposes for decades.