KHANEWAL/GUJRANWALA/MUZAFFARGARH  -   Some 9,856 acres of state land worth billions of rupees has been retrieved in Khanewal and Gujranwala districts under the clean-up campaign, according to the official figures.

Approximately 2,154 acres state land worth Rs740.56 million has been retrieved in Khanewal. The district administration has so far shown no laxity and no relaxation of any sort at any level as they are backed by full contingent of police at the time of operation. In Khanewal city, most of operation is being led by Chief Officer Iftikhar Bangash who stays at the troubling sites and faces public wrath and reaction.

In tehsil Kabirwala, the administration team retrieved a costly piece of 4-acre land worth Rs8 million in operation conducted at Abdul Hakeem Town; Mian Channu admin reclaimed 16-kanal land from illegal occupants in Chak 10-11/8-R while also getting back occupation of 20-kanal land of two schools namely Govt Model Primary School 64/10-R and Govt Model Primary School 11/8-R from influential land grabbers.

In Mian Channu, in also retrieved 16-kanal state land of grain market and cattle market being used by illegal occupants by erasing 8-sheds. Tehsil Jahanian contributed to its extent when it occupied its land in Chak 132-10/R with the help of district council's anti-encroachment team.

In Gujranwala, about 7,702 kanal state land has so far been evacuated by the district administration from the land grabbers, said Deputy Commissioner Shoaib Tariq while talking to the media. He said under the clean and green Punjab Campaign, anti encroachment operation was being carried out throughout the district. Anti-encroachment teams have demolished thousands of illegal constructions in different areas. He said, "We have got vacated the state land worth of billions of rupee from the occupiers while 9 cases have been got registered against the accused persons during the campaign.

Jamshed Ahmad Dasti, leader of Awami Raj Party and his companions were booked for protesting and creating hurdle in the recovery of state land at Tiba Kareemabad.

The police registered an FIR 459/18 against  Dasti and his companions Gulshan Sultana, Manzooran , Shabir Saghir, Abdul Ghaffar, Wahid Baksh, Jamil Shoari, Javed Awan and hundreds of others for creating hurdles in the state affairs.

in media talk, Dasti said that he had faced many false cases registered during the last govt and now was ready to face more such cases. He said he would continue struggle for the rights of the poor and destitute. He said he would soon hold a sit-in at Turkish Bypass against the cleanup drive.

AC Ch Ashraf said that hundreds of acres of govt and forest department land had been recovered from the land mafia. He added that first time in the history of Pakistan the govt irrespective of political compromises have taken revolutionary initiative to get back state land from mafia.