ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday said the land grabbers and those involved in illegal occupation of poor people’s lands in Islamabad and its suburbs would not be spared and will be dealt with sternly. “I will not tolerate land mafia in the federal capital at all,” the prime minister said while chairing a high level meeting about the issues relating to the federal capital. He said the operation against land grabbers and illegal occupants of the lands of the poor should be carried out by taking the people and media along. He regretted that the influential generally would escape the law and the poor punished due to class distinctions in the country, adding that the PTI government was committed to change this trend. The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Interior Shehyar Khan Afridi, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Ali Nawaz Awan, MNA Raja Khurram Nawaz, Secretary Interior Major (r) Azam Sulaiman, chief commissioner Islamabad, inspector general of police and other senior officers. The Interior secretary briefed the prime minister in detail about the overall situation in the federal capital, law and order, ongoing operation against land mafia and other matters. The prime minister directed State Minister for Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi, Special Assistant to PM Ali Nawaz Awan and MNA Raja Khurram Nawaz to prepare a special package for Islamabad. During the meeting, it was decided to establish a coordination committee headed by the secretary interior to strengthen and make more effective the ongoing campaign against land mafia and drug dealers particularly against the use of drugs in educational institutions. Special Assistant to PM Ali Nawaz Awan and MNA Raja Khurram Nawaz would assist the committee in this respect. Recommendations were also sought from IGP to further improve the performance of Islamabad Police and make it more effective. The prime minister assured his every possible support to police, Islamabad administration and other departments to turn the federal capital into a model city and ensuring the rule of law without any distinction or discrimination. Published in Daily Times, November 13th 2018.