Pakistan Railways has retrieved 2.1 acres of valuable land worth Rs91 million in Chaman following a major anti-encroachment operation conducted on the directives of Federal Minister for Railways Mohammad Hanif Abbasi, officials said on Wednesday.
The operation was supervised by Divisional Superintendent (DS) Quetta, Imran Hayat, and targeted land that had been under illegal occupation for years despite a court ruling in favour of Pakistan Railways in 2022.
According to Railways officials, the land was originally leased in 1968, but later occupied beyond permissible limits. During the operation, authorities demolished 12 illegally built shops and a warehouse. The warehouse had been in the use of “Bashir & Company”, a firm already declared a defaulter by Pakistan Railways.
Officials said the action was conducted in compliance with court approval permitting the department to reclaim the encroached land.
Railways authorities stressed that an ongoing crackdown will continue against land mafia and illegal occupants across the country. “There will be zero tolerance for encroachments on Railways property,” Federal Minister Hanif Abbasi said, adding that protecting and recovering state assets remains a key priority of the government.
