CHARSADDA: An operation to free 200 acres of illegally occupied land in north Hashtnagar area of Charsadda failed badly when the occupants of the land resorted to violent resistance to an operation led by security personnel.
Following orders from Peshawar High Court, police and Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel approached the illegally occupied land, but were met with resistance in the form of aerial firing.
Around 1,500 police and 1,800 FC personnel were involved in the operation, while an army contingent stood by. Members of the local administration were also present.
In the operation which ensued, the illegal occupants set ablaze two tractors and the hujra (guesthouse) of Ikramullah, who was the main complainant of the case.
In addition to the security forces, a number of armoured vehicles, ambulances and fire brigades arrived at the area for support. An emergency was also imposed in local hospitals, in case of untoward incidents.
However, the security forces were ultimately unsuccessful in the operation.
As per the case filed by Ikramullah, over 430 families have occupied 200 acres of land belonging to him by law. Peshawar High Court ruled in Ikramullah’s favour eight years ago, and following noncompliance with the court orders, Ikramullah further took the court to the Supreme Court.
The current occupants of the disputed land, however, maintain that their forefathers made it arable around 80 years ago, and now that the land yielded value, they were being forced out of their homes. They said that they would not now be coerced into leaving it.
