ISLAMABAD: Scores of officials, including two policemen, were injured when villagers resisted an operation to acquire land for a housing society of lawyers and judges in the capital’s rural area on Saturday.

The operation was conducted in Moza Tama and Moza Moria to acquire 8,000 kanals for the housing society on the directives of the Supreme Court, said officials in the capital administration and police.

However, the operation was called off as the villagers did not allow the officials to acquire their land.

When senior officers of the capital administration, including the deputy commissioner, along with police and housing foundation officials reached the spot, the villagers warned them not to enter their land.

“They opened fire on the officials and also pelted them with stones,” said a senior official. Scores of officials were injured. Later, the senior officers called off the operation.

Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat said the operation was postponed to avoid a law and order situation. An application was submitted to the police station for registration of a case against the villagers under relevant charges, including Anti-Terrorism Act, he added.

The villagers were carrying automatic weapons and the police have been directed to conduct a combing and search operation in the area, he added.

On the directives of the apex court, the housing foundation started the process of acquiring land owned by over 500 villagers under the Land Acquiring Act 1894. The act empowers the state to acquire land even against the will of the owner.

The state compensates the owner at its will no matter what the cost of the land, said the officials. Before acquiring the land, the housing foundation informed the local administration and CDA and also collected the amount from the lawyers for their housing society. But the villagers refused to get the compensation and sell their land.

A majority of the villagers refused to sell their land while others demanded Rs15 million per kanal against the foundation’s offer of Rs3 million per kanal.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2019