TAXILA: The authorities in Attock on Sunday swung into action against encroachment mafia, illegal land developers and land grabbers and demolished structures and retrieved state land.

The Punjab government has issued orders to all deputy commissioners and district police officers (DPOs) to launch operations against land grabbers and in line with these orders the Attock district administration launched a massive crackdown against land mafia in all the six tehsils.

Deputy Commissioner Ali Annan Qammar said the district administration has decided to widen the crackdown against suspected land grabbers throughout the district. He said that he has directed officials of respective tehsil administration to intensify the crackdown on land grabbers and those backing them.

In Hassanabdal, a crackdown against encroachers was launched on Sunday to retrieve illegally occupied state land.

Assistant commissioner Zunira Jailil said during crackdown 42 kanals of state land was retrieved from illegal possession. She said the land which was retrieved has a market value of Rs55.85 milion.

Moreover, the administration also demolished structures at an illegal housing society operating in the town.

In Hazro, a team of municipal administration, led by assistant commissioner Shagfta Jabeen, launched a crackdown against the developers of dozens of illegal housing schemes. Action was also taken against illegal structures set up along GT Road near Kamra and Hattain.

The office of a housing society was also sealed.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2021