Islamabad: Pakistan Railways (PR) has embarked on a proactive initiative to recover land, valued in billions of PKR, according to a news article on November 27.
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According to the details, a Ministry official revealed that this extensive land of 13,972 acres, spanning commercial, residential, and agricultural categories, is unlawfully occupied, PR has opted to enhance its ongoing anti-encroachment efforts against individuals, groups, and business entities exploiting the land for residential, commercial, and agricultural purposes over an extended period. The Ministry has issued coordinated procedural directives to all Divisional Superintendents of Pakistan Railways, instructing them to reclaim railway land from encroachers.
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Furthermore, anti-encroachment operations are underway across the railway network, with notices served to encroachers under the Possession Ordinance 1965, mandating the vacation of railway land and structures within 14 days. The distribution of the occupied land is as follows: 5,809 acres in Punjab, 1,181 acres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5,948 acres in Sindh, and 1,034 acres in Balochistan. The encroachment encompasses 769 acres of commercial land, 3,309 acres of residential land, 5,512 acres of agricultural land, and 4,382 acres encroached upon by various individuals or departments.