In a significant anti-encroachment drive, Pakistan Railways has retrieved 15 acres of occupied land in Lahore’s Mehmood Booti area, with an estimated value of Rs. 50 billion.
The land, which had been illegally transformed into a housing society, also hosted seven factories, seven markets, and two petrol pumps, all of which were sealed during the operation by railway authorities, ARY News reported.
Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi praised the Lahore railway administration for the successful operation. He said similar actions would continue nationwide to reclaim encroached railway land.
The operation comes against the backdrop of longstanding concerns over illegal occupations on Pakistan Railways’ property.
A few years ago, encroachments were reported on 403 acres of railway land in the Rawalpindi Division alone. Despite ongoing efforts, only 60 acres have been recovered in the past three years.
According to a briefing given to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee, Pakistan Railways owns a total of 16,477 acres in the Rawalpindi Division. Of this, 403 acres remain under illegal occupation—160 acres by private individuals and 243 acres by government departments.
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