Rawalpindi-The district administration along with heavy contingent of police on Saturday carried out an operation and got vacated 17 kanals of land on Adamjee Road from Varan Tours.
The private bus company, owned by Uzma Gull, daughter of former DG ISI Gen (R) Hameed Gull, had obtained this precious land on lease in 2000 during the rule of former military dictator General (R) Pervez Musharaf.
Later, the land was occupied by the chairperson Uzma Hameed illegally despite expiry of the lease agreement for last 15 years.
The company got two bus depots in Rawalpindi Chur Chaki on Peshawar Road and Adamjee Road in Saddar on lease from Punjab government. However, on August 19, 2018, the district administration led by then Deputy Commissioner Omer Jehangir launched action and retrieved 28 kanals of the land from Varan company.
A senior official of district government planned to convert the area into field hospital on orders of Deputy Commissioner Anwaar Ul Haq for curing COVID-19 patients and quarantine as there was no vacant place available in the city and cantonment areas.
He added that the administration presented the details to the government about the land available on main road of Saddar which could be used for field hospital. He said that at present, the administration converted sports complex into field hospital but it would not be enough in case more patients landed in the city with COVID-19.
Punjab government gave green signal to the district administration and asked to vacate the land from illegal possession.
Upon this, the joint team of district administration and local police on the directives of DC Anwaar Ul Haq, AC Cantt Ramisha, Secretary RTA Khalid Mehar Ghulam Abbas, magistrate and police officers went on the site and got the possession of the bus depot.
The police also detained Ms Uzma Gull, her husband and other relatives and expelled them from the premises forcefully.
RTA Secretary also handed over 30 buses of private company to Station House Officer (SHO) PS Cantt SI Raja Aizaz Azim, he said.
During an interaction with media, DC said that the administration vacated the land to establish field hospital at the site. He said that RTA already issued notices to the management of the company earlier to vacate the government land.
Giving the details, RTA Secretary Mehar Ghulam Abbas told journalists that Varan got the possession of main offices building and bus depot on lease from Punjab government in 2000 but it terminated the lease agreement in 2005 unilaterally.
He said that after ending the agreement, the company had to vacate the land but it occupied it for last 15 years illegally. He said that we retrieved the land from the company on Saturday and the work would be started to make field hospital soon.
He said that Punjab government had been informed all the details as it was monitoring the situation.
Secretary RTA dispelled the allegations of Ms Uzma Gull, owner of Varan, and said that there was no stay order for the premises and we would clarify our position in the courts if any.
When contacted, Uzma Gull, owner of Varan Tour, said that she did not receive any notice prior to action but the administration got possession with force and she would contact the court against the action.
She alleged that the administration and local police humiliated and confined her in a room. “They destroyed the workshop and spare parts and other equipment worth Rs40 million had been destroyed. My office, resting room and other offices were destroyed,” she alleged.
She said that the franchise was canceled in 2004 and under the agreement, the provincial government had to pay the money to the company which it failed. She said that the action was not justified as the case was pending in the court and it awarded stay orders. Till the filing of this report, heavy contingent of police along with officials of district government were present on the site.