TOBA TEK SINGH: The district administration, following an order from the Punjab Board of Revenue (PbBoR), retrieved 749 acres of state land in Chak 405-JB from the unlawful possession of land grabbers a few months ago.

On Friday, the Toba deputy commissioner ordered the allocation of the entire land to the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) for the establishment of a state-of-the-art citrus research centre.

The land had been fraudulently registered in 1956 under the “Grow More Food” scheme in the name of the late Noor Ahmad, father of former market committee chairman Shabbir Ahmad and others. However, many of the allottees were found to be fake, leading to the cancellation of the allotments in 1963. Despite this, the grabbers maintained their hold on the land through court-issued stay orders.

Former MPA Mian Muhammad Rafiq, the late Kissan leader Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad, Farmers Action Committee Chairman Arshad Jamil, Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee General Secretary Farooq Tariq and MNA Junaid Anwar Chaudhry had long fought to cancel the allotment of the 749 acres, which had been grabbed nearly six decades ago.

For over 60 years, the Shabbir family leveraged their political connections to retain control of the disputed land, reaping its benefits for years.

After appeals against the PbBoR were rejected in all courts, the administration launched an operation to reclaim the land, demolishing buildings and crops a few months ago.

On the suggestion of UAF Vice-Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan and locals of Chak 405-JB, the DC requested the PbBoR to allot the reclaimed land for the establishment of Asia’s first-of-its-kind citrus research centre and institute.

The proposal received a consent from the Faisalabad commissioner and was endorsed by the PbBoR.

During a meeting on Friday, chaired by Additional Deputy Commissioner Zeshan Maseeh Labha and attended by Faisalabad UAF Citrus Research Centre Director Azeem Iqbal and UAF Local Campus Principal Dr Zuaur Rehman, an approval was granted for the proposal.

The meeting also directed UAF officials to take possession of the 749 acres of land on Saturday (today).

ELECTROCUTED: A petrol station employee was electrocuted on Friday in Kamalia.

Reports say Shafiq, 45, was filling petrol in a vehicle when his hand touched a live electricity wire. He received a fatal shock and died instantly at the station located in Bhallaywala Chowk.

ROBBER KILLED: The robber killed in an encounter with Thikriwala police in Faisalabad on Thursday was identified as Intizar Hussain from Suhailabad, Faisalabad.

He was a notorious criminal wanted in more than a dozen robberies.

During a crossfire with Intizar and his unidentified accomplice who managed to escape, Constable Abid also lost his life.

ILLEGAL SCHEMES: An enforcement team from the Faisalabad Development Authority demolished structures of two illegally established housing schemes on Friday.

One scheme, named Model City, was located in Samundri, and the other, Grand City, was on Sargodha Road.

The FDA has warned the public not to purchase plots in either scheme.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2024