IN an important step towards protecting the poor lot from the excesses of land mafia, the federal cabinet at its meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday constituted a Committee to work out a system to stop the illegal and forcible acquisition of land from the poor by the influential people.
It really goes to the credit of Prime Minister Imran Khan for speaking vehemently against the land mafia and action against them have also been taken against them in different major cities. Over the years a mushroom growth of housing societies, especially the private ones, has been seen.
The very practice of these housing societies is that they acquire land from the poor people for peanuts and then sell to the people on exorbitant rates.
If some person refuses to sell their land, these societies forcibly acquire it through different tactics.
Since nobody expects early justice from the courts in such cases, therefore, the land owners are left with no option but to succumb to the pressure of housing societies.
In this context, the Prime Minister has taken a step in the right direction to save the land owners from the exploitation of housing societies.
There should not be any undue delay in formulation of recommendations for necessary action on the part of the government. The land mafia deserves no mercy and there is a need to bring legislation envisaging strict punishment for them. There are also large swaths of land owned by different public sector departments.
As Prime Minister Imran Khan has launched Naya Pakistan Housing scheme, this land should be used for plots or construction of flats which should be given to those employees who hitherto have never been accommodated in any government housing scheme.
Priority must be given to those employees whose organization’s land is being used for the housing purpose.
As regards the cabinet’s decision to enforce Essential Services Act in Radio Pakistan is concerned, it must be reviewed. There should not be any ban on the Labour Union activities.
The workers should have the right to raise voice against the injustice being meted out to them.
