Action against land grabbing in Khost after Pajhwok report

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): The government has initiated serious measures against land grabbing in southeastern Khost province following a Pajhwok report.

According to the Pajhwok report published on Nov 27, thousands of people, including local strongmen, have seized thousands of acres of government land in different parts of the province during the past 20 years.

Following this report, the Khost Municipality launched an operation against the usurped lands in and around Khost City, during which a number of buildings were destroyed.

During the same operation, the buildings constructed in the 4th and 6th districts of Khost city, which had obstructed the implementation of the municipal plans, were also destroyed on Thursday.

Khost Municipality official Qari Bismillah Bilal told Pajhwok Afghan News that houses encroaching on a part of the Hakim Taniwal Road were also destroyed, which had blocked the road for the past 20 years.

He also said that arbitrarily constructed houses in the area behind the Customs B project of the first passage of the sixth district were also demolished which had recently encroached on the land.

According to him, the former residents of the area were given three months to evacuate the area by the end of winter.

He added: “Those who have usurped government lands and obstructed the construction and development plans of the municipality will not be let go and serious measures have been taken against them and this will continue.”

On the other hand, Shabir Ahmad Osmani, director of information and culture in Khost, told Pajhwok Afghan News that he was happy with Pajhwok’s report on land grabbing.

He said the new government, especially the Khost provincial administration, had issued special orders on the usurpation of state lands, and work was under way in the capital and provinces.

He added that after the publication of the Pajhwok report, the Khost municipality along with other government agencies had seized some lands in and around Khost city and expelled the usurpers.

“The program will be gradually extended to all parts of Khost province, but there is no exact information on how long it will take,” he said.

According to some reports, more than 20,000 acres of government land has been usurped in the province..

The usurped lands belong to the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and other government agencies that have been usurped at different times.

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