The district administration Quetta on Tuesday foiled a major bid of land occupation at the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, located 20 kilometres east of the city.

Overnight, members of the land mafia had brought bulldozers to the park and a portion of land was ploughed, Quetta Deputy Commissioner Captain (retd) Farrukh Attiq told DawnNews.

Established in 1980, the Hazarganji park covers 325,000 acre of land located close to the Chiltan mountain in Quetta's outskirt. The park houses hundreds of Markhor, the national animal of Pakistan, and other wild animals.

"We have arrested two accused and registered cases against them", the deputy commissioner informed. He said influential persons were behind this bid of grabbing such a national heritage.

Cases were registered against the accused in Quetta's Shal Kot police station. However, sources in the police station said the members of land mafia had earlier shown fake allotment documents to them. "We let them since they had official permission to run bulldozers", they claimed.

The deputy commissioner, however, clarified that security was tightened in and around the national heritage to ensure its protection. "We will not let anyone occupy it," he said.

In Hazar Ganji national park, there are almost 800 species of wild goat the population of Suleman Markhor is very low which is about 300-400 due to a lot of hunting.

The wild goat likes to live in Jungle area while the Markhor used to live at hilly area. Recently a case was also registered against Home Minister Balochistan Sarfaraz Bugti for hunting Markhor in the Hazar Ganji national park.