ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority (CDA) and local administration teams faced armed resistance on Wednesday during an anti-encroachment operation in Korang.

Anti-encroachment operations were held in E-11, Korang and by the Korang Nullah to vacate government lands from encroachers, capital administration officials said.

They said that when the officials reached the Korang area, they faced resistance from a group of locals, some of whom were armed. The locals began firing into the air and refused to clear the way for the officials to proceed with the operation.

Law enforcement officials were called to the area immediately, including police reserves and personnel from the Anti-Terrorist Squad and the Anti-Riot Unit. Senior CDA officials also came to negotiate with the locals.

However, they said, residents of the area refused to disperse and said they could move forward over their dead bodies.

A senior administration officer said that another round of negotiations was conducted with the locals, adding: “The locals asked us to leave and said they would demolish encroachments themselves, if there were any.”

They claimed to have bought the land legally and said they had not occupied any government lands, the officer said.

“We offered that they produce the records and documents in support of their claims, which they agreed to,” he said.

The operation in Korang was conducted to vacate forest land and land along the Korang River that has been occupied by people, he said.

A similar situation also arose in E-11/4, an official said. A group of people intercepted anti-encroachment officials on the E-11 Service Road and fired into the area.

A police contingent that included the Counter Terrorism Force were called in to clear the area, the official said, and the team later reached E-11/4 and removed encroachments.

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat told Dawn that officials were shown resistance at sites where they reached to remove encroachments. He said the land mafia was behind the firing that was carried out to terrorise the anti-encroachment officials.

“Such resistance was expected, so we are well prepared and put the Rangers’ Quick Response Force (QRF) and Counter Terrorism Force on standby to deal with the situation,” he said, adding that the QRF was called to control the situation before it worsened and led to any untoward incident.

He said no one was injured in the firing, and separate cases were registered against those involved under the Anti-Terrorism Act for resisting and obstructing officials doing their official duties.

Around 12 suspects were also arrested in connection with the two incidents, he said.

Mr Shafqaat said the team vacated graveyard land in E-11/4, and encroachments on forest land and land near the Korang River were demolished.

He said 75 kanals of land in E-11 was vacated and 200 out of 615 kanals of encroached land in Korang had been vacated.

He added that the operation will continue until all encroachments on government lands have been demolished.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2018