Around 9,986 acres Railways land found under illegal occupation.

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan Railways major portion of around 9,986 acres land worth billion of rupees found under illegal occupation of private, individual and different government departments across the country.

'Around 3,287 acres were occupied in Punjab, 832 acres under encroachment in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, 5,180 acres in Sindh and 687 acres land occupied in Balochistan,' an official in the Ministry told reporter.

However, he said Pakistan Railways has retrieved as many as 955 acres of its land worth Rs19, 603 million during various anti-encroachment operations across the country in the last five years.

'Around 476 acres retrieved in Punjab, 133 acres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 327 acres in Sindh and only 19 acres in Balochistan acres land had been retrieved by the Pakistan Railways,' he said.

He said that about 3,287 acres in Punjab, 832 acres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5,180 acres in Sindh, and 687 acres of land in Balochistan were being encroached.

The official said that in the light of orders of the Supreme Court, the anti-encroachment operations for retrieval of encroached railway land all over the Railway network were initiated and a joint procedure order was issued to all Divisional Superintendents for retrieval of Railways land from encroachment.

'The anti-encroachment schedules, on a three months basis, are being prepared and sent to all concerned in line with the joint...