Land mafia involved in illegal arms buisness, land occupation.

ISLAMABAD -- Land mafia is active in the capital as they are involved in illegal weapons, illegal occupation of state and private land and many other crimes. They have made the city a living hell for the common property owners. Their hard-earned property is at risk of being snatched by this mafia.

There is a well-connected land mafia that keeps an eye on uninhabited plots in the suburbs of the city and moves in to take possession, leaving the real owners to then pursue the case at the police stations and in the courts for years. Islamabad has a local version of the land mafia comprising gangsters of low profile having patronage of local politicians and the corrupt police officials. They continue their activities in connivance with the local police. A person is booked in 12 cases of illegally occupying others' properties at police station Sihala, yet he moves freely and still continuing his illegal activities. The question rises 'How can one think that he would do that all without support of the local police?' The reason that land mafias get away with their illegal activities is because of the patronage of police. It really is as simple as that. The land mafia is a nexus comprising politicians, criminals, and corrupt police officials.

Raja Muhammad Hanif, son of Abdul Aziz, a resident of sector I-10/2 Islamabad, in his written application to Chief Commissioner Islamabad narrates his ordeal and explains how the local police backed the land grabbers in illegally occupying his residential plot in the jurisdiction of Sihala police station. He said that with the financial support of one of his USA-based brothers, he purchased a 1-kanal plot in Mouza Kortana, Habib Abad district Islamabad some 20 years ago. About a year ago, the complainant said, one Pervez Akhtar, son of Sardar Akbar Khan, Majeed and others started illegally occupying state land in the area and also asked the private plot-owners in the area not to start construction without their consent. In April 2019, Raja Muhammad Hanif visited his plot and found the members of land mafia illegally occupying a part of his plot.

As he asked them to stop the work, some 20...