LAHORE: The Punjab government on Monday constituted a high-level task force for launching a crackdown on those grabbing and encroaching upon state land in the provincial capital.

The task force will be headed by the Lahore Commissioner Dr Mujtaba Paracha and includes Lahore Development Authority’s director general, capital city police officer (CCPO), DIG (operations), deputy commissioner and chief officer of the Lahore Metropolitan Corporation, as its members.

The task force has been directed to finalise its Terms of Reference (TORs) and put forward a comprehensive strategy for launching the crackdown within three days.

“We need to immediately launch an indiscriminate operation against land grabbers and encroachers,” provincial minister for housing Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed said while presiding over a meeting.

The meeting’s participants were informed that the properties under illegal occupation had been identified and their list had been prepared. They were also told that the police force as well as the machinery required for the operation would be provided to the task force as and when needed and additional force arranged for the purpose.

“Since the operation should start from influential groups without any relaxation, we must involve personnel of all the relevant departments,” the minister sought.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2018