Islamabad 5 August: Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi has informed the National Assembly that 3,999 acres of Pakistan Railways (PR) land are under illegal occupation by various government and defence departments.
This revelation came in response to questions posed by MNA Shazia Marri and Sher Afzal Marwat. The minister stated that PR owns 168,858 acres nationwide, with 13,115 acres (7.7%) under illegal occupation, including 4,773 acres used for agriculture, 3,266 acres for residential purposes, and 712 acres for commercial use.
The breakdown of government and defence department encroachments includes 2,539 acres in Punjab, 764 acres in Sindh, 349 acres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 347 acres in Balochistan.
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While PR has retrieved 2,550 acres from other illegal occupants over the past five years, including 1,594 acres of agricultural land, 713 acres of commercial land, and 268 acres of residential land, no land has been recovered from government or defence departments.
The data is sourced from the Ministry of Railways’ response to questions posed by MNAs Shazia Marri and Sher Afzal Marwat.
| Province | Total Land Illegally Occupied (Acres) | Details/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Punjab | 2,539 | Largest portion of illegally occupied PR land by government/defence departments. |
| Sindh | 764 | Significant occupation, with ongoing efforts to regularize through leases. |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 349 | Smaller share compared to Punjab and Sindh, but still notable. |
| Balochistan | 347 | Least amount among the provinces, with challenges in retrieval. |
| Total | 3,999 | No land retrieved from government/defence departments in the past five years. |
Efforts are underway to regularize unauthorized possession through leases, according to the ministry.
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