Illegally occupied land in Charsadda not freed despite presence of 3,000 security personnel

CHARSADDA: Illegally occupied land in the district could not be freed despite participation of over 3,000 police and Frontier Constabulary personnel along with the local administration participated in an operation on Monday.

The operation to free 200 acres of land in north of Hashtnagar in Charsadda was started on orders from Peshawar High Court.

Around 1,500 police and 1,800 FC personnel, also sought from different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, gathered in the area, while an army contingent was kept on standby.

Moreover, a number of armoured vehicles, ambulances and fire brigades were sent to the area for the land to be successfully vacated. Emergency was also imposed in local hospitals, in case of any untoward incident.

However, the measures went down the drain when the illegal occupants, residents of Hashtnagar, came out to fire in the air to disperse the security forces.

Subsequenrly, the security forces and local administration started their operation during which, illegal occupants set ablaze two tractors and the hujra (guesthouse) of Ikramullah, a resident of the area who owns the 200-acre land.

Over 430 families have illegally occupied 200 acres of land in the area, as per case filed by Ikramullah. Eight years back, Peshawar High Court had ordered illegal occupants be driven out of the area, however, since nothing happened the petitioner took the case to Supreme Court.

According to the families who have illegally occupied the land, their forefathers made the barren land of the fields arable around 80 years back. They added now that the land had become profitable due to its crops, they were being banished from their area. Therefore, the illegal occupants refused to leave the area or free the land.