LAHORE: The city administration is all set to launch a massive anti-encroachment operation in Harbanspura next week to retrieve several pieces of state land, including those situated on prime location of main canal road, from grabbers.

Earlier, the operation was postponed on the second day (Oct 3) after its launch as the authorities faced massive resistance from locals who thronged the Canal Road and blocked it for hours till withdrawal of the anti-encroachment teams, police and heavy machinery.

On the other hand, the administration is weighing various options to launch operation at Madina Road (Township) as the area is notorious for giving a tough time to the government whenever it conducted clean-up drive here. Some years ago, the shopkeepers had set five official vehicles (trucks etc) on fire after a team launched operation there.

Harbanspura and Township’s Madina Road are very critical in terms of encroachment. In Harbanspura, as many as 6,000 kanal state land, including 100 kanal or so situated on Canal Road is under illegal occupation of the people. Some of the suspected grabbers belong to both mainstream political parties - PML-N and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. But the situation at Madina Road - a main market of Township - is somewhat different, as a majority of shopkeepers encroached open spaces (green belts etc) permanently or temporarily and appear to be united in resisting operation.

‘Troublemakers’ in Harbanspura, Township may be arrested

“Harbanspura is very critical area for us, as our teams didn’t launch operation after a huge number of people took to the streets and blocked Canal Road for hours by burning tyres. Here the government owns about 6,000 kanal land, but the entire chunk is under illegal occupation. However, we don’t want to touch those who are living in kachi abadis except those possessing various pieces of precious land (over 100 kanal or so) facing canal,” a senior official explained while talking to Dawn on Saturday. “So we are all set to launch a mega operation next week to [at least] retrieve the prime land worth billions where some influential people belonging to PTI and PML-N continue to run marriage halls, a factory and some other businesses,” the official requesting anonymity added.

Under the plan, the government may detain the influential people or their core supporters before launching operation in Harbanspura. The same option may also be used before initiation of the operation at Madina Road. The reason for the option is the locals’ reaction they showed in Harbanspura on Oct 3. “And this reaction was just because of the powerful land mafia that instigated locals to resist the move by spreading a rumour through announcement in mosques that the government officials intend to demolish all houses in katchi abadis. So there is a plan to first pick and detain such people. The same option is being considered for launching operation at Madina Road,” he maintained.

Talking about the government policy on the ongoing operation, the official said there were clear instructions that the clean-up drive would not be carried out in katchi abadis in Lahore and other parts of the province. However, those (poor or influential) occupying the graveyards’ land through construction of structures or temporary arrangement (plant nurseries or other purposes) would have to surrender their illegal possession to the government.

He said though the administration had so far succeeded in retrieving over 3,850 kanal land worth billions, the government is yet to devise a viable policy on utilisation of such tracts. “We are still unaware of whether this land is to be auctioned or used for construction of houses for the poor as announced by the government or some other purpose. So the government is required to immediately devise a policy in this regard,” the official said.

Meanwhile, various teams on Saturday retrieved 115.5 kanal state land of commercial and agriculture nature worth Rs560 million from grabbers.

According to officials, a team led by City Assistant Commissioner Safdar Hussain Virk retrieved 98 kanals in Shahdara.

Another team, headed by Cantonment AC Haider Abbas Wattoo, conducted operation in Mauza Jaman and retrieved 8 kanals and 11 marlas. A team, led by the Model Town AC, carried out operation in Kot Lakhpat and retrieved four kanals and seven marlas while Raiwind AC Asim Saleem retrieved four kanals and 11 marlas.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2018