The operation was a collaborative effort of the Cholistan Revenue Office (CRO) and the Bahawalnagar Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE).
Previously, the officials concerned had requested assistance of the law-enforcement agencies in a bid to avoid any resistance from the land mafias. In response, the local police department sent in reinforcements.
According to the Cholistan assistant commissioner, the officials concerned recovered 1,401 acres out of the total 2,000 acres of encroached land. He confirmed that the operation to retrieve the remaining land would continue.
In an operation of a similar scope conducted in 2018, the Cholistan Development Authority had retrieved over 1,100 acres of state land from the local land mafia.
In February 2018, the Punjab Cabinet had sanctioned the allotment of state land to several individuals and families in Cholistan. To facilitate this measure, the then provincial government had allocated funds worth PKR 2.37 billion.
