SAHIWAL: After six decades, 700 kanals of state land worth more than Rs800m has been retrieved from illegal occupation at Chak 6/ KB, tehsil Pakpattan, in a joint operation by the district administration, the Punjab Enforcement Regulatory Authority (Pera), revenue department and district police.

Deputy Commissioner Asif Raza told Dawn that the land evacuation operation was started 18 months back and the administration had to face a lot of resistance in terms of litigation in getting the state land back. Assistant Commissioner Muntaha Azhar said the operation was conducted in light of the Board of Revenue Punjab’s decision dated Oct 7, 2025, which directed the district administration to retrieve 700 Kanals of state land from illegal occupants.

Official records show that the land belonged to the government and it was in illegal possession of Lal Khan since 1968who remained in litigation with the Board of Revenue till 2019. Out of 700 kanals, 300 kanals’ rights were granted to Lal Khan, Muhammad Hussain and others in 2020, while the remaining 400 kanals were granted in 2023 to Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Qurban and others under temporary cultivation lease for five years. Neither party submitted their dues to the revenue department on a regular basis.

Data shows that Nawaz and Qurban deposited lease money for one year but could not secure possession because the land was allegedly under illegal occupation of Lal Khan, Hussain and others. Later, a case was filed for revision before the Board of Revenue (BoR) with title Muhammad Nawaz vs Muhammad Hussain. On Oct 7, 2025, the BoR cancelled the rights earlier granted over 300 kanals to Lal Khan and Hussain.

The BoR directed the district collector, Pakpattan to resume 700 Kanals in favour of the state and remove illegal occupants. Later, Nawaz, Qurban and others applied to the DC Pakpattan for implementation of the board’s order.

On Jan 28, 2026, the Pakpattan AC visited the site with revenue staff and announced the cropped area to be under government possession. Meanwhile, Noor Ahmed and others filed a civil suit. On Feb 2, 2026, the local additional district and sessions judge suspended operation of the BoR and ordered district administration to retrieve the land.

During the operation, the administration also took control of the crop and shifted all related cultivation records into official government custody.

CTD MAN BOOKED: A CTD head constable (HC) was booked for alleged electricity theft and threatening a Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) team, which disconnected supply to his house over non-payment of bills.

Ghala Mandi police registered a case against the suspect, HC Shah Nawaz, under sections 506, 162/JC of the PPC and 25-D of the Telegraph Act on the complaint of Mepco Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Muhammad Arshad.

According to the FIR, CTD HC Shah Nawaz, residing in Talha Block, Chak 135/9-L, had failed to pay his electricity bills.

After repeated warnings, a Mepco team disconnected the house’s electricity connection and sealed the meter.

Angered by the action, Shah Nawaz allegedly used abusive language against the Mepco officials on telephone, questioning their authority to seal his meter. The situation worsened when he broke the Mepco seal and directly connected electric wires to a pole, illegally restoring the power supply.

Following this violation, the SDO submitted an application, upon which police registered a criminal case against the HC.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2026