KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) says the Commission for the Prevention of Land Grabbing has identified more than 3.94 million jeribs of pastureland in northern Sar-i-Pul province.
In a statement, the ministry said the pasturelands are located in Sar-i-Pul city and several districts of the province, and were reviewed by a designated commission team. Based on the commission’s decision, they have been identified and registered in the state land bank.
It said around 89 percent of the land, or about 3.5 million jeribs, remains in its original grazing condition, while 11 percent, around 450,000 jeribs, has lost its natural state and has been converted into rain-fed and irrigated farmland, residential areas, public infrastructure or subjected to other forms of encroachment.
The ministry said that under Article 13 of the Law on Preventing Land Grabbing and Restoring Usurped Lands, encroachment on public grazing lands, including their conversion into agricultural land, construction of houses or any other use, is prohibited.
It added that the survey and identification team for grazing lands, tasked by the commission, is also reviewing such lands in other provinces, and once the process is completed, the lands will be registered in the national land bank.
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